


Twisted Destiny

by ZoneRobotnik



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Cassandra redesign, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Season 3 rewrite
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 55
Words: 188,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27146923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ZoneRobotnik/pseuds/ZoneRobotnik
Summary: All Cassandra's life, everything has been about Rapunzel. And now she's found out that her own mother chose the princess over her! She's tired of taking a passive role and is taking her destiny as Princess of Corona by FORCE!No matter who she has to cut through to do it.Rapunzel will have to track down her former friend and stop her, or lose everything she gained since leaving the tower.
Relationships: Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Comments: 267
Kudos: 84





	1. Moonstone

**Author's Note:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

They were here, finally. Rapunzel looked ahead of her at the Moonstone Opal. “We made it, guys.” She said, looking around the dark room that was empty except for the Opal.  
  
Or so it seemed. Upon closer inspection, the darkness around them was actually black rocks lining the walls. In fact, aside from the doors, _everything_ in this room was made of black rocks. It really made Rapunzel realize that the Moonstone was capable of great destruction…but also creation.  
  
But, she had to destroy it, to stop the black rocks that threatened the world.  
  
Her hair started to glow and lift into the air above her and the black rocks started to glow and point towards the Moonstone Opal before they went dark again. Rapunzel walked forward, to the gap between her and the mystical stone, and moved a foot out into the open air, gasping as land started to form under her foot. She took another step and more land formed, the bridge rebuilding itself as she walked towards the caged stone across from her. Behind her, Eugene and Cassandra followed close behind.  
  
They stopped a few feet away from it, watching the bridge completely form, and then she smiled back at Cassandra behind her, who was looking happy but also nervous. She rubbed the back of her neck and walked over to take her hands in hers. “Look, I know these last few months haven’t been easy for us.” She smiled up at her. “I wanna thank you – for everything.” She let out a happy squeal and hugged her tightly.  
  
Cassandra shifted a bit in her hold. “Okay, Rapunzel. It’s time.”  
  
She pulled back with a grin, then turned and walked towards the Moonstone Opal, pausing next to Eugene and Pascal, taking Eugene’s hand when his hand grabbed hers. “This is it, Rapunzel.” Eugene smiled. “Now, get your destiny.”  
  
She kissed his hand and brought it to her cheek. “I love you.” She said softly.  
  
He kissed her head and then she stroked Pascal’s nose before she turned and walked on, her gaze ahead. Now…it was just her and the Moonstone Opal.  
  
She could hear whispers, words she couldn’t understand, like another language. Or maybe that was just her mind playing tricks on her as she got closer and closer. Maybe it was part of the Moonstone’s magic.  
  
The cage glowed and then opened, the Moonstone shimmering as it lifted into the air invitingly. She didn’t know what would happen when she took it…but, she was ready to find out. She reached out a hand for it, inches away, and then a gloved hand closed around it, blocking out the light. Confused, she turned her head and saw…  
  
Cassandra?  
  
“Cassandra? What are you _doing_?” Rapunzel asked in disbelief. Her hair stopped glowing and fell down around her to dangle towards the rocks below. Eugene grabbed her hand to pull her back as she reached for her friend, who was looking…angry?  
  
Cassandra closed her fist tighter around the struggling, glowing stone, her gaze cold and focused on it. “I’m fulfilling _my_ destiny!” She declared, moving a hand to her arm to try and keep the stone in check.  
  
A wave of energy shot out and knocked them all back, but Cassandra still wouldn’t let go. Rapunzel and Eugene were thrown back towards the door, and she looked up in horror as Cassandra, surrounded by blue light and lightning, refused to let go of the Moonstone Opal. Eugene came to Rapunzel’s side and placed his hand on her shoulders as they watched Cassandra wrestle with the stone until she slammed it onto her chest.  
  
She let out a horrifying, heart-stopping scream and Rapunzel could only watch helplessly as her friend was engulfed in blue light, black rocks appearing along the bridge in reaction to the Moonstone going wild.  
  
Cassandra brought her hands to her head as if she was in pain, leaning forward in agony, and then her clothes started to change into something else as her short, black hair grew longer and turned blue, aside from a single black streak on the left side of her face. Her chest and shoulders were covered in white armor that looked like it was made of out of moonrock, her belt had transformed into a battle skirt of sorts, her boots were changed into taller, blue boots that shimmered like the black rocks that matched the color of her new shirt that covered between her skirt and chest-plate, her arms were covered in white-rock gauntlets and everything else turned into black rocks under the other rocks. A white-rock tiara formed on her head and what looked like the symbol of the Brotherhood was created around the Moonstone Opal itself, with a white moon and black rocks that pointed out from the Opal.

  
  
Finally, she stopped screaming and lowered her hands, standing tall as she stepped forward, laughing. “I tried to warn you, Rapunzel.” She said with a deranged smile. “You have to be careful who you _trust_.”  
  
Rapunzel stared at her in disbelief, watching as she took another step, black rocks appearing at her feet.  
  
“I…I don’t understand.” She said shakily. “What… _why_ are you _doing_ this?”  
  
“Got some time? ‘Cause I’ve got a story to tell you. It’s a good one, and it’s all about me and you.” Cassandra grinned. “Go ahead, pull up a rock. Or your boyfriend’s knee. I don’t care.” She sighed. “When we were in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow, when I was looking for you after you went missing and…what, went to la-la land with a cultist? Pft, you just got the worst luck, don’t you, Raps?” She chuckled. “Anyways, while I was looking for you, I found a door. And through that door, I was shown a vision of the past. _My_ past. I saw my old home, where I lived with my mother. She was always so distant, so cold, but I knew she loved me anyway.”  
  
“I thought you didn’t know who your mother was?” Eugene asked.  
  
“I didn’t. I’d forgotten…but, that vision brought it all back. You see, the reason I had forgotten is because, that night, my mother went out and stole a child. The Royal Guard found her home, found me, and I was surrounded, helpless, a child. I saw my mother across the way, holding a bundle with a child in it, a child with glowing, golden hair.” Cassandra clenched her fist. “She chose _her_ over me. She cut the bridge and fled with the child, fled to go live in a tower for the next eighteen years until she died, while I was taken in by the Captain of the Royal Guard, so struck with shock about being abandoned by my mother for another child that I forgot all about my mother; I locked the memory away because all I could do until then was cry for a mother that left me!”  
  
She sighed. “I always _knew_ that I’d been second-best to you at everything, Rapunzel. Everything I did, you were always there to outshine me, always there to make people look at you, the beautiful, innocent, naive princess that had finally returned home to them, and took everything for granted. Everything I tried to do, _everything_ , you were always there to take things away from me! The spotlight, the praise…you even tried to take _Andrew_ from me, when you already had _Eugene_. After making a big deal about me being single, you tried to steal away my love life when it had barely begun – fake or not. And now…” She laughed bitterly. “Now I find out you took _my mother_ , too!”  
  
“But…Cass, if…if that’s true, that means that—” Rapunzel started, and Cassandra cut her off as sharply as a sword.  
  
“It means that I’m Gothel’s daughter, and _your destiny_ belongs to _me_.” She moved her hand to the Moonstone, walking towards Rapunzel. “And soon, _everything you have_ will belong to me. Your parents…Corona…” she chuckled darkly, “and, if you’re not careful, _your life_.”  
  
Eugene moved in front of her protectively. “Cassandra, stand down and give back the Moonstone!”  
  
“Aw, look at _you_ , falling into your family’s duty already! Too bad you failed to stop someone from taking the Moonstone. Gosh, this must be _embarrassing_ for you! The family letdown, when you’ve only _just_ found out about your heritage. Aww.” Cassandra pouted mockingly.  
  
“I’m not in the mood for any mind-games, Cass.” Eugene said sternly. “Stand. Down.”  
  
“Aww, what a bummer. And here I was all ready to have a nice, fun back-and-forth with you. Oh well!” She put her hands on her hips.  
  
Rapunzel moved forward. “Cass…we’re _friends_. In fact, being Gothel’s daughter, that…that makes us closer than friends!” Rapunzel walked towards her. “That makes us sisters!”  
  
Cassandra chuckled. “ _Sisters_? Were you even paying attention to what I _said_ , Raps? My own _mother_ chose you over me, I wasn’t even a _thought_ to her.” She stepped closer to Rapunzel. “From that moment on, I was always second to you. My adopted father searched for you day and night, all the Kingdom would talk about was your kidnapping, I was trained to be a warrior because he wanted me to be able to join the search for you when I grew up. You, you, you, it was _always about you_! And then you come back, and I’m told that, now, I have to be a _lady_ , no, a _Lady-in-Waiting_. Always _waiting_ to be looked at _for myself_ and not living in your shadow. There were days I wished that the King and Queen would give up on you, maybe even adopt me! I could be a better princess than you ever will! You’ll be a horrible Queen, we know _that_ for sure!”  
  
“Cassandra, please.” Rapunzel clasped her hands together in front of her chest.  
  
“No! No more ‘please’, no more ‘wait’, no more ‘Cassandra, do as your told’!” She walked closer to her, glaring at her. “I am _done_ waiting in the wings, Rapunzel.” She shoved her back and Rapunzel gasped as she hit the ground. “From now on, it’s _my_ turn to shine.”  
  
The doors opened as Lance said, “So, what did we miss—what the hair?!”  
  
Cassandra looked up at the man, a cold smile on her face. “That’s my cue to leave.” She said, walking past Rapunzel.  
  
“Cassandra—” Eugene stepped forward.  
  
“Fitzherbert, get in my way and I’ll knock you off the bridge.” She said casually, and he stopped and stood out of her way.  
  
“Cassandra, _please_!” Rapunzel got up and turned to her. “Let’s just _talk_ about this! I-I _never_ meant to hurt you, I _swear_ , I—”  
  
“Enough, Rapunzel.” Cassandra snapped.  
  
“Just hear me out—”  
  
“I said ‘enough’!” Cassandra turned to her, black rocks coming out of the ground and making Rapunzel step back.  
  
Rapunzel stepped back, then clenched her fists. “No! Cassandra, you’ve got to give me the Moonstone! That’s not yours to take!”  
  
“Oh, but it is! I’ve taken it, and it’s not leaving my side _ever_.” Cassandra grinned.  
  
“It’s too dangerous!” Rapunzel insisted.  
  
“Is it? Or do you just not like the thought of _me_ having power equal to _you_?” Cassandra sneered.  
  
“The whole _world_ is at sta—”  
  
“One more word out of you and you won’t have to worry about ‘the whole world’.” Cassandra smirked. “Besides, now that _I_ have it, the rocks will stop spreading. You’re just mad because _I’ve_ saved the day instead of _you_.”  
  
“Cassandra, this isn’t about me and you, it’s—”  
  
“Oh, but it is! Don’t you see?” Cassandra laughed. “This is our story! The story of two little girls, one a princess and the other a pauper. The princess took the pauper’s life with her mother, while the pauper was taken and raised as the daughter of a guard. Why wasn’t she raised as a _princess_? How is _that_ fair? The story doesn’t line up! So, I’m going to fix that and become a princess. I’m taking your Kingdom and crown from you, Rapunzel. You didn’t want it, anyway. All those rules and regulations and traditions. Why did they wait eighteen years for a free-spirited upstart like you, when they could’ve had _me_? Honestly, I’m baffled.”  
  
“Cassandra, you’re not making sense!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
“Of course, it doesn’t make sense, just like Varian taking the Sundrop Flower didn’t make sense in your perfect little world, just like your father hiding the destruction of Old Corona from you didn’t make sense. Welcome to the real world, Rapunzel! Sometimes, things don’t make sense to naive little girls that grew up in towers!” She threw her arms out. “You know what _really_ doesn’t make sense to me? Why my mother never came to find me, if she was freely coming and going from the tower enough that you could sneak out with the first guy to come into your life and seduce you!”  
  
Rapunzel stepped around the black rocks. “Cassandra…”  
  
Adira suddenly ran forward, her sword prepared to strike at Cassandra. The newly-magical woman raised her arms and blocked the weapon, forcing her back a bit.  
  
“Release the Moonstone, Short Hair.” Adira said sternly. “You don’t know what you’re dealing with.”  
  
“Aww, I just realized you’re gonna have to get a new nickname for me! As you can see, my hair isn’t short anymore!” Cassandra braced herself, then threw her arms to the sides, knocking Adira back with a wave of moon energy as she did. She hit the ground and Cassandra laughed before walking over to pick up her fallen sword. “And, apparently, neither do you.” She moved it to her back, creating a sheathe for it to slide into with black rocks on her back.  
  
Adira groaned in pain, bracing herself against the black rock she landed in front of. Lance came to her side. “Adira!” She knelt next to her. “Breathe easy, your Lance is here.”  
  
She looked at him, wincing in pain, before looking back at Cassandra.  
  
“Well, this has been fun, but I’ve got a Kingdom to go conquer.” Cassandra said, then took to a run past them.  
  
“Oh no, you don’t!” Eugene started, but she just focused on keeping him back, creating black rocks behind her as she laughed maniacally.  
  
“Cass!” Rapunzel ran after her. “Cassandra, wait!”  
  
Cassandra grinned as she ran, feeling the power pumping through her body, giving her strength. She couldn’t even feel the pain when she bumped against a wall, and she was moving faster than she thought she could!”  
  
“CASS!”  
  
She stopped and looked over to see Rapunzel had followed her into the hallway, looking furious. Rapunzel stepped forward, throwing an arm out.  
“ _This has to stop now; whatever it is that you’re going through, we’ll fix it together, me and you, just like we’ve always done!_ ”  
  
Cass barked out a laugh. “No! _**This** has to stop now; this thing where you think that you’ve been my friend, and don’t even hear how you condescend, the way you’ve always done!”_  
  
Rapunzel stepped closer, her voice softening. “ _Cassandra, listen._ ”  
  
“ _I’m listening!_ ” Cassandra brought a hand to her ear.  
  
“ _I know it isn’t true._ ” Rapunzel walked towards her, moving closer.  
  
“ _Isn’t it_?” Cassandra raised an eyebrow.  
  
“ _Just look into my eyes now,”_  
  
“ _Well…_ ” Cassandra looked thoughtful.  
  
“ _I know you feel it, too._ ” Rapunzel finished.  
  
“ _Perhaps, I do._ ” Cassandra glanced away.  
  
“ _Cassandra, listen._ ” Rapunzel started again.  
  
“ _I’m listening._ ” Cassandra looked at her.  
  
“ _I swear, it’s not too late._ ” Rapunzel moved even closer. “ _So, before another line gets crossed, and everything we’ve had is lost, just wait..._ ”  
  
Cassandra looked up at her. “’Wait’?” She laughed bitterly. “ _No, I won’t wait._ ”  
  
“Cass!” Rapunzel cried, realizing she’d made a big mistake as Cassandra turned and ran off again, forcing her to follow and dodge around black rocks.  
  
\--  
  
“ _There’s a line between the winners and the losers,”_ Cassandra summoned more rocks as she furiously fled through the castle. “ _There’s a line between the chosen and the rest.  
And I’ve done the best I could, but I’ve always known just where we stood._”  
  
She looked over her shoulder at the pursuing young woman bitterly. “ _Me, there with the luckless._ ” Like poor, little Varian, for instance, and Lady Caine, orphaned because of a grieving father having too much power of authority. “ _You, there with the blessed._ ” Honored, even when she wasn’t even there for it. Adored, even by those who didn’t know her. Always perfect, always loved, no matter _what_ she did wrong.  
  
She looked forward and grabbed onto a black rock that came out, flipping around it and continuing on. “ _And that line between the beggars and the choosers, is a line you never quite let me ignore._ ” Every chance at happiness, ripped away from her by Rapunzel’s careless hands.  
  
“ _How I’ve tried to jump that great divide!_ ” She stopped at a set of double-doors, clenching her fists. “ _But, I’ve never had the chances you were given! You don’t know how much I’ve been denied!_ ” She looked over at Rapunzel, who was catching up. “ _Well, I’m not being patient anymore!_ ”  
  
She turned to the doors and threw them open, running through to go outside.  
“ _I’m crossing the line! And I’m done holding back! So look out, clear the track, it’s my turn!_ ” She ran out into the wasteland, with Rapunzel following behind her desperately, summoning black rocks and spinning around them playfully as she went. _  
  
“I’m taking what’s mine! Every drop, every smidge!_” She jumped down into a lower area, throwing a fist up. “ _If I’m burning a bridge, let it burn! But I’m crossing the line!_ ”  
  
She created a bridge over the chasm below with black rocks as she walked across it, smiling wildly. She reached the other end and turned to see Rapunzel had caught up to her. She reached back and pulled the sword from her new sheathe.  
  
“ _And, for us, if we’re over, that’s fine!_ ” She raised the sword high, grinning at the princess running towards her. “ _I’m crossing the line._ ”  
  
She swung the sword down and it smashed into the bridge, cutting it off and making it fall apart, forcing Rapunzel to retreat back to solid land. She smiled smugly and sheathed her sword before she turned and walked off.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel watched her go, a tear slipping down her cheek, and then she wiped at her eyes and pushed herself up. “Cass…I don’t know _how_ you got it in your head that you should _take_ everything from me…but I’m going to _stop_ you. Whether by my _words_ , or…” She faltered. “Or…” She wrapped her arms around her, letting out a soft sob.  
  
“Rapunzel?” Eugene called, coming down to her. “Did…did she…?”  
  
“She left.” Rapunzel wiped at her eyes. “She left me…and she’s going for my Kingdom. We…we have to go back. Before…” She clenched her fists. “We have to stop her. The Demanitus Scroll, I’m sure it has the answers.” She turned to him, then headed back to the others.  
  
“…But, no one can _read_ that thing.” Eugene said as he followed her.  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I know…”  
  
\--  
  
A few hours later, they were finishing bandaging up their wounds from Cassandra’s dramatic exit and Rapunzel was sitting with the Demanitus Scroll open in her lap, trying in vain to read it.  
  
“I feel like there’s someone that can read this…it’s on the tip of my tongue…” She sighed, rolling it up. “Ugh, I just…why would she…it just doesn’t make any _sense_. She never gave me even a _clue_ that she felt this—” Her eyes widened and she unrolled the scroll again, looking at the flower. “…I know who can read this. We have to get back to Corona, as soon as possible!”  
  
“Do we have a plan?” Eugene walked over to her.  
  
Rapunzel turned to him. “Varian.”  
  
Eugene stared blankly. “Varian. Our plan is _Varian_?”  
  
Rapunzel handed him the scroll. “Look!”  
  
Eugene looked at it. “Yeah, it’s the Demanitus Scroll. So?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “’So’, the day that Varian gave everyone truth serum and stole the flower, he revealed to me that he translated that part of the scroll. He can read it! And if we’re going to find a way to stop Cassandra before she…before she goes _completely insane_ and takes _everything_ from me, we need to get Varian to help us translate the rest of it.”  
  
Eugene rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah, uh, Blondie? Last we checked, Varian wanted you _dead_. He is more likely to help _Cassandra_. How do you expect to convince him to help us with this—"  
  
“Balloon!” Lance alerted them. They looked up to see a hot-air balloon approaching.  
  
“Whoa, balloon!” Eugene took Rapunzel’s hand and pulled her back as it landed.  
  
Rapunzel tensed a bit. Between Cassandra’s dramatic speech and now the balloon, she was reminded of a certain _super-attractive-but-that’s-besides-the-point_ rebel and she felt a sense of dread.  
  
“Careful.” She pulled out her frying pan and held it at the ready as the balloon shifted.  
  
To her surprise, Ulf the mime made his way into view. Rapunzel lowered the frying pan and smiled. “Ulf!” She ran over and hugged him. “Oh, it’s so good to see you, it’s been so long!” She pulled back a bit. “I didn’t know that you ballooned! How did you find us?” She started to feel a bit nervous, because since _when_ had ballooning been a thing in Corona? “W-What are you _doing_ here? Did someone _send_ you?”  
  
“ _Why_ did they send _you_ , specifically?” Eugene asked, walking up to them.  
  
“Yeah. Answer _that_ one.” Lance chimed in.  
  
“Gentlemen,” Shorty spoke up, “I believe I can be of some incontinence, as I am _fluid_ in Ulf.” He fell off of Maximus than walked over to the mime to begin translating as he started to make some movements. “There’s trouble in Corona. Invaders from a foreign land! The people of Corona are scared, so Ulf followed the rocks here.” He paused, looking at the mime. “…Now, he’s just standing still.”  
  
“Guys, there’s _trouble_ in _Corona_.” Rapunzel said anxiously. “We need to get back as _soon as possible._ ”  
  
They fired up the balloon again. Rapunzel clutched at one of the ropes connecting the basket to the cloth balloon, feeling anxious about seeing Andrew again – because who else could it be but the Saporians? Andrew was the one that introduced her to balloons in the first place, and his balloon was destroyed, so he must’ve gotten another one somehow, as well as backup.  
  
Before she could focus on stopping Cassandra, she needed to make sure there was a Corona _to_ protect.  
  
“Alright, chop, chop! All aboard!” Eugene called as they loaded up the balloon. “This balloon isn’t getting any hotter, people!”  
  
Lance looked at them, then turned back to Adira. “Sure you can’t come with us?”  
  
“My path has changed, and my destiny lies elsewhere.” Adira said, looking towards where Cassandra had fled to. “Not with you.”  
  
“I know it hurts, but I want you to know that no matter _how_ far away I am out _there_ , I am never far away in _here_.” He moved his hand to his chest, then placed his hand on her shoulder and she instantly grabbed him in a rough hold and aggressively held him facing away from her. “I forgot you don’t like to be touched!”  
  
King Edmund stood back awkwardly, watching as Eugene prepared to go. “My son. I have dedicated my entire life to protecti—”  
  
“So, you’re staying or you’re going?” Eugene asked nonchalantly.  
  
King Edmund looked towards where Cassandra had run to. “I must think of a way to soften this blow…” He said to himself, then cleared his throat. “Son, I canno—”  
  
“You’re staying, I got it.” Eugene said dismissively. “I’ll see you later.” He grinned at him and then hopped into the balloon.  
  
King Edmund smiled at the implication that he wanted him in his life.  
  
“Okay, is that everybody?” Rapunzel asked, looking at the very-packed balloon.  
  
“Oh, I certainly _hope_ so, because it’s tight.” Eugene commented.  
  
“Everybody ready?” Rapunzel reached for the cord to lift them into the air. “Then…” She tugged it and they started to lift away.  
  
They left the castle, and Rapunzel looked over her shoulder at it before looking forward again. Cassandra would have to wait. There was a far more dangerous, far more _immediate_ threat to her home to take care of.  
  
And then…she had a promise to keep, and a teenager to apologize to. She only hoped he’d be willing to forgive her.  
  
“Corona, here we come!” She declared with a smile.

  
\--  
  
Cassandra stepped out of hiding, watching as they went. Owl flew over and she held out a hand, watching as he landed on her gauntlet. “A balloon, huh…wonder if it’s my old flame that’s causing a fuss in my Kingdom?” She mused. “Should we let them handle it?”  
  
Owl hooted at her and she chuckled. “You’re right. Might be easier to take it from her than Andrew, huh?”  
  
He tilted his head at her.


	2. Welcome Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel returns to Corona to save it from an unknown threat, and to hopefully get Varian's help with the scroll. To her dismay, she finds that Varian has already been recruited by someone else!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The balloon traveled through the air, heading back over the trail of rocks, passing over places they’d been. Rapunzel thought she spotted Hector down below and waved, but he wasn’t looking up and didn’t pay her any attention. She hoped that he and Adira would patch things up between them.  
  
They continued on, passing over the island with the Lorbs, then the Spire, the Forest of No Return, Vadaros…and finally…  
  
Corona was in front of them. Her Corona. Home.  
  
“Huh, that’s funny.” Eugene commented.  
  
“What?” Rapunzel looked at him.  
  
“There’s no guards in Old Corona. Weren’t there supposed to be, to keep thieves away until they found a way to free Quirin?” Eugene looked at her.  
  
“…Yeah.” Rapunzel frowned. “But, I guess with the threat, they had to call them back.”  
  
“Speaking of threat, doesn’t it seem…oddly peaceful?” Lance asked as they flew over the forest.  
  
“I _did_ expect more fire and screaming.” Eugene agreed.  
  
They set down in town and Rapunzel moved her hand to the frying pan at her side as they climbed out. “…There’s no danger?”  
  
“Uh…there’s no people, either.” Lance commented as they looked around.  
  
“It’s so quiet…” Rapunzel went to look in a shop window. “No one’s working, at this hour?”  
  
“We should look into this.” Eugene said, frowning.  
  
They heard the sound of something that sounded like glass and Rapunzel went over to investigate, gasping as she saw Feldspar in front of his shop, anxiously picking up little green shards of something and putting them into a bucket.  
  
“Feldspar?” She put her frying pan back on her belt and went over to kneel next to him, helping him pick them up.  
  
He looked startled and looked up at her and she gasped, seeing he had a black eye. “Princess?” He asked slowly, as if he thought he was imagining her.  
  
“Feldspar, what _happened_ to you?” She reached up a hand to cup his cheek.  
  
“I-I missed my quota last week…I _can’t_ miss it again, or they’ll do _worse_.” He said anxiously, pulling away go back to his work.  
  
“’Quota’?” She asked.  
  
He nodded, then looked around anxiously, as if he was afraid the wrong people would hear. “They’ve been having us mining these minerals for some unknown reason and taking them to the castle every week. And, if we don’t make our quota…the Enforcers ‘motivate’ us to do better next time.”  
  
“Who are the Enforcers? Does my _father_ know about this?” Rapunzel asked anxiously.  
  
“Well, _of course_ he does. He’s the one who _gave_ the order.” Feldspar said bitterly. “Ever since he got that _new advisor_ it’s been, pardon my wordage but, _hell_.”  
  
“’New advisor’?” Rapunzel frowned. “What happened to Nigel?”  
  
Feldspar tensed. “I have to get back to work.” He put the shards all into the bucket and then hurried away with his bucket.  
  
Rapunzel stood up, looking towards the castle. “…What is going _on,_ here?”  
  
A shadowy figure moved away from where it had been watching her before they turned and dashed towards the castle, going through the backstreets until it reached the castle courtyard, where she came out into the sunlight and headed in with a grin. She threw open the castle doors and walked down the hall, humming to herself as she opened another door.  
  
“Guess who’s baaaack?” She said in a sing-song tone.  
  
Across from her, Andrew of Saporia leaned against a table casually, his gaze on something ahead of him. “Don’t keep us in suspense, Juniper.” He looked at her with a smile. “Tell us.”  
  
“Princess Rapunzel has come home from her year-long trip.” She grinned.  
  
Andrew chuckled, then looked straight ahead again. “Hear that? The Princess is home.”  
  
A pink liquid was poured from a beaker held by a red-gloved hand and into a ball held by the other hand before the ball was snapped shut and the beaker set down as the owner of the gloves let out a sigh. “Finally.”  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel stopped in front of the doors to the throne room, feeling nervous. She hadn’t seen her parents in so long…what had _happened_ to her father to make people _mine_ strange minerals? She reached up her hands and pushed open the doors, walking in and heading up to the thrones ahead of her.  
  
As she got closer, her anger faded as relief that they were _alive_ took its place and she ran forward with a cry, throwing her arms around her mother first. “Mom, you’re okay!”  
  
“W-What?” She asked, sounding confused.  
  
“I’ve missed you so much!” She hugged her tightly.  
  
“Frederic…?” Her mother said nervously.  
  
Rapunzel pulled back and smiled at her, then threw her arms around her father. “Dad!”  
  
“Y-Young lady, please…” He said nervously.  
  
She pulled back, confused by their reactions. “’Young lady’? What? Dad, what’s going on?”  
  
“Ohh, this is awkward.” Lance said, rubbing the back of his neck behind her.  
  
They both looked at her like they’d never seen her before. She looked at them with confusion, then gasped, seeing the Sun of Corona gone from her father’s chest and replaced by…something familiar.  
  
“That…medallion, it’s-it’s—” She stammered, as realization kicked in.  
  
“Saporian.”  
  
She gasped and looked over to see Andrew standing in the doorway, looking smug. She hated that she still found him attractive, even now. “Hey, Raps.” He greeted with a wave. “Nice to see you again.” He pushed the door open wider as a crowd of people came up behind him.  
  
“Andrew.” She breathed, turning to him fully.  
  
Eugene frowned. “Wait, you look familiar. Like, reeeally familiar. Is it the hair? Or maybe the—”  
  
“It’s me, Andrew. We went on a double-date before and your girlfriend _ogled_ at me the whole time.” Andrew grinned. “Also, I took you for a ride on a hot-air balloon, _very_ romantic.”  
  
Eugene frowned. “Oh, right! The guy with the man-bun that is _totally_ not as attractive as me—”  
  
“You are still drowning in denial and it’s hilarious as ever.” Andrew chuckled. “But, that’s not important.” He walked towards them and his group followed behind. “In case you’re wondering why I’m here, I’ve taken over Corona. Or, as we call it, New Saporia!” He raised his sword high with a grin.  
  
“Long Live New Saporia!” The group said behind him, raising their fists and swords high.  
  
Eugene laughed. “I’m sorry, what? You, man-bun guy, and your flower children took over Corona?” He pulled out his sword, chuckling. “This is only gonna take a minute—” He was cut off mid-sentence by something whooshing through the air before he was engulfed in pink smoke.  
  
 _Horribly familiar_ pink smoke.  
  
“Eugene!” Rapunzel ran to his side.  
  
“What the goop?” Eugene said, looking at his feet as the smoke cleared somewhat to reveal he was pinned to the floor by pink goop around his legs.  
  
‘No, no, no, don’t tell me…’ Rapunzel silently pleaded.  
  
“Oh-ho-ho, we didn’t do this alone.” Andrew assured them with a chuckle, then gestured to the side as a figure stepped out of the pink smoke. “You might _recognize_ my old cellmate?”  
  
The figure stepped into full view, reaching a gloved hand up to pull up his goggles, the motion causing the red and white scarf on his face to slip down and reveal who it was. “Welcome home, Rapunzel.” He greeted with a familiar smile.  
  
Rapunzel gasped in horror as Varian stepped out of the smoke, dressed in different clothes, taller, and apparently sporting some new facial hair on his chin. She looked at him and, though he had changed physically, she saw the same teenager that had kidnapped her mother, that had trapped her and her father in goop just like he’d just trapped Eugene, that had said three ominous words in that same way.  
  
He hadn’t changed, not beyond the physical. What happened to the _help_ he was supposed to receive? Why was he still _bad_?  
  
“Oh,” he turned and walked over to stand next to Andrew, “I see you’ve already _met_ my _new friends_.” He crossed his arms over his chest, smiling confidently at her. She couldn’t believe it. Why would he side with the Saporians? Why would he cement himself as a traitor _even further?_  
  
“Ah, Varian!” She heard her father saying with delight behind her. “My most trusted advisor!”  
  
She jolted and turned to him. “Varian? Uh, Mom! Dad! Ah, don’t you remember what he’s _done_?” She cried in alarm, nodding towards the teenager behind her.  
  
Varian laughed, drawing her attention back to him. “No, no, they don’t.” He assured her.  
  
“They don’t _remember_?” Rapunzel asked, confused.  
  
Varian exchanged a smug, knowing smile with the shortest member in their group, as if they were sharing a private joke, and the woman twirled something in her hand to catch Rapunzel’s attention before she stopped, holding it so Rapunzel could clearly see what it was.  
  
“T-That’s the Saporian Wand of Oblivium.” Rapunzel said in disbelief.  
  
Rapunzel instantly was hit with the memories of what Cassandra did to her by accident, using that same wand. But, how was it _here_? And, furthermore, _why_ did they look like they _knew_ that she’d know _exactly what it was_? What did they _know_ about her?  
  
“ _You_ have erased their memories!” She said accusingly.  
  
“Oh, me? Oh-ho!” Varian laughed, moving his hand next to his mouth dramatically. “No, not really.” He said, waving his hand in a sassy way towards her. “Actually, as you know, I’m all about the _science_ , but, uh, _Clementine_ here added a bit of, uh, ngh, _texture_!”  
  
“ _Magic._ ” She said, waving her hand in a dramatic way with a smug smile.   
  
Varian crossed his arms over his chest and smirked at Rapunzel. “Yes. Today, the King and Queen, tomorrow Corona.” Rapunzel and Eugene jerked back in horror as he went on. “I’m synthesizing the wand’s power into a gas that will erase the memories of _everyone_ in Corona! And I named it Quirineon, so I _never_ forget about the fact that they all turned their backs on me and my father!” He walked forward. “And I _never_ blindly trust a ‘promise’ again.”  
  
“Varian…” Rapunzel pursed her lips, then clenched her fists. No. No, she wasn’t going to just sit and watch this happen while crying about _another betrayal_. This was _her_ Kingdom, _not_ Varian’s, _not_ Cassandra’s, and she was going to _take it back_!   
  
“I’m not letting you get away with this!” She reached up to untie her hair. “Hey, guys?” She lowered her arms as her hair fell around her shoulders, her hand gripping her hair tightly. “Let’s send these Saporians _back_ where they came from!”  
  
And then, she’d be having some _words_ with Varian.   
  
Andrew chuckled as Varian walked over to stand next to him. “I thought you might say that. Saporians!” He raised his sword high and the other Saporians raised their swords, Varian pulling out alchemy bombs and grinning at Rapunzel.  
  
She was getting _sick and tired_ of these villains _grinning_ at her! She was going to wipe it right off his smug little face! She let out a yell as she ran forward, raising her frying pan high as she ran at Varian.  
  
Varian threw down one of the alchemy bombs and a flash of light blinded Rapunzel briefly and made her see stars as purple smoke spread out and obscured the Saporians from view. She quickly ran back as a sword nearly hit her from the smoke, and she realized with a gasp that she couldn’t see Varian among the Saporians when it cleared.  
  
“Your Majesties.” She heard him say, and she looked over furiously to see he’d approached her parents. “Perhaps it would be best, at this time, to exit the throne room?”  
  
“Oh, of course.” Her father said as they stood up. He led them over to a door and opened it for them, closing it behind them and dropping a goo bomb on the door to keep someone from going after them before he dodged to the side as Rapunzel swung her frying pan at him.  
  
“Stay away from my parents!” She yelled.  
  
He laughed. “I’m sorry, it’s a little late for _that_ , don’t you think?” He taunted. “Maybe if you’d come home, oh, three months ago!”  
  
She swung her frying pan at him again and he ducked, letting out a whistle when it got stuck in the wall. He threw a goo bomb at her and she gasped, quickly moving away and watching as her frying pan got covered in goo. “Okay…” She grabbed her hair. “Fine.”  
  
Varian looked up in alarm and rolled to the side, throwing another goo bomb at where he was, just in time for Maximus to get caught in it as he landed on where Varian was. Rapunzel felt a bit guilty that she hadn’t been keeping track of the others and cast a glance around to see how everyone was doing.  
  
Eugene had gotten free of the goo and he and Lance were battling Andrew and the woman with him, Shorty’s head was in a bush, and Ulf was in a bubble just floating around above the battle.  
  
“By the way,” Varian said, drawing her attention back to him. “I notice that you’re missing someone from your travel party.” He smirked. “Where’s Cassandra?”  
  
Rapunzel clenched her fist around her hair tighter. “She’s _gone_!” She swung her hair like a whip and he jumped back to avoid being hit by it.  
  
He looked stunned by the news. “Gone? What…well, I guess...risks of the job…” He dodged another strike. “For what it’s worth, you have my condolences. She was a great woman.”  
  
“Wha—I didn’t say she was _dead_!” Rapunzel said, realizing what he must be thinking. “She just—she’s _gone_ , okay?! It’s a long, complicated story and I was _hoping_ that you wouldn’t be _bad_ anymore because I could _really_ use your—”  
  
“You’re getting distracted, Princess!” He taunted, and she gasped as he caught her hair in goo the next time she swung it.  
  
Pascal rode on her hair as she threw it and jumped over the bombs when they came flying at her, then he jumped on Varian, shooting his tongue into his ear and making him yelp before he tried to grab him. “Pascal, get off!”  
  
She struggled to pull her hair free, glancing around to check on the others and blushing a bit as she saw Lance and Eugene do the same when Andrew let his hair loose. Gosh, why was he so _gorgeous_ but so _terrible_?  
  
Pascal came back and released Rapunzel’s hair from the goo, bringing her attention back to Varian.  
  
“Varian, please, I think I know how to _help_ him!” Rapunzel cried, looking at him. “I just need you to _stop this_!”  
  
Something flickered in his eyes, regret? Guilt? Reluctance? It was only there briefly, but a quick glance to the side and it was gone, replaced by the same infuriating smirk. “Oh, so _now_ you’re falling back on _that_? Because you can see that your group is losing, you’re telling me more _lies_ , Princess?”  
  
“It’s not a—ugh, you’re not _listening_! Why won’t _either_ of you _listen_?!” She swung her hair out and wrapped it around Varian, pinning his arms to his sides. She started to pull him close, and then yelped as a fire started near her. She let go of her hair and Varian pulled free before running to drop something onto the fire.  
  
“Thanks, Clementine, but don’t burn down the castle, please!” He said as the fire was doused.  
  
“It did the trick.” She shrugged, and then Rapunzel was facing both of them.  
  
She saw the others being cornered and she ran to Eugene’s side, holding her hair at the ready as they prepared their weapons, glaring at Varian as he and Clementine came over to join them. “Varian!” She said angrily.  
  
He stepped forward, raising an eyebrow. “Yes, Princess?”  
  
“I wasn’t _lying_. I really _do_ know a way to save him. Just tell them to stand down!” She pleaded.  
  
Varian and Andrew exchanged skeptical looks before Andrew pulled out a black and green object. “Sorry, Princess.” Varian said casually. “I don’t really _want_ him out right now, anyway. Not until _everyone’s_ forgotten about what I did.”  
  
Andrew threw the object and Rapunzel’s group let out cries of alarm as it struck the ground in front of them, setting off an explosion that dropped them to the ground outside.  
  
Rapunzel groaned in pain as she lay on the ground near the others, her body screaming in pain. She slowly opened her eyes when she heard voices and realized they were talking about coming down to get them. She pushed herself up and saw, to her relief, the others were doing the same and she looked up at where Andrew and Varian were – _were_ being the operative word, they’d walked away at some point.  
  
“Pascal?” She reached around. “You alright, buddy?”  
  
Pascal came out of her hair and she lifted him up with a sigh, looking up again.  
  
She _really_ wanted to know what was going through her father’s head when he made _those two_ cell-mates. “Is everyone okay?” She asked, looking relieved when Lance and Eugene both got up and nodded.  
  
“I got the rope.” Clementine said, walking over with some rope in her hands. They looked up in alarm as they heard her.  
  
“Augh! Cork Fiber? Clementine, you know cork cord chafes my hands.” The big guy she handed one to said.  
  
“Well, it’s what Corona’s got.” She said as they made their way down.  
  
“Let’s get out of here!” Eugene said anxiously.  
  
“What?” Rapunzel looked at him as she got up. “We can’t just _leave_ ; we’ve got to stay and _fight_!”  
  
“With _what_? Your frying pan is all gooed up in there!” Eugene gestured up to where they fell from.  
  
“Uh…” Rapunzel looked over her shoulder.  
  
“Blondie, trust me, sometimes it’s better to just live to fight another day.” Eugene said anxiously as he led her away with Lance and Shorty.  
  
\--  
  
Ulf floated around helplessly until something popped his bubble and he fell, landing right into the arms of one of the Saporians. Varian walked up to him with a cold smile, carrying Rapunzel’s frying pan. “Well done, you got her here. I’m sure you didn’t _intend_ for it to end this way when you stole a conveniently-abandoned hot-air balloon.”  
  
Ulf hung his head. Varian sighed. “Take him to the stocks as an example, he’ll be useless in the mines.” He looked over at where Andrew was checking Maximus over for any wounds. The man had always had a soft spot for animals, more than the rest of his people. He walked over and used a sleeping dust on the horse before using his neutralizing agent on the goo.  
  
Andrew removed Maximus’ saddle and bridle and stroked his nose. “Juniper, can you help me get this one out to the stable to rest?”  
  
“On the way.” She walked over and lifted Maximus into her arms. “Geez, you both are such wimps.” She carried him out to the stable.  
  
“So, what are we going to do about the Princess?” Andrew looked at Varian. “Seems she got away.”  
  
Varian chuckled. “If I know Rapunzel, she’ll come back. What _I’m_ wondering is what she meant by ‘gone’ when I asked about Cassandra. She said she’s not _dead_ , just…’gone’.”  
  
“Eugene just said it was a ‘sensitive subject’ when I asked about my old flame.” Andrew shrugged.  
  
Varian shrugged and walked over to remove the goo securing the door. “I better go tell the King and Queen that it’s safe now.”  
  
“I’ll send the others out to track them down. Better we catch them on their own then waiting for them to bring an army.” Andrew said, watching him go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With the only other option being captivity, Rapunzel and the others are forced to retreat!


	3. Resist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After meeting with the resistance force in Corona, Rapunzel chooses to go back to the castle alone and confront Varian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel and the others fled from the castle and into the city, ducking into Xavier’s empty forge to hide from the Saporians coming out after them.  
  
“We cannot allow the Princess and her gang to interfere with New Saporia’s takeover of Corona.” One of the Saporians said as they approached.  
  
“Hey, sorry I’m late. They needed me to carry a horse.” One of the others joined the three already outside of the forge. “Find ‘em?”  
  
“They’re quick, but there aren’t many places to hide.” Clementine assured her.  
  
Rapunzel looked around a crate to see them, then ducked back when Clementine said, “Do you see something?”  
  
The big one turned towards the box Rapunzel was hiding behind. “Yes.” He said with disgust in his voice as he reached down. Rapunzel tensed, but he just picked up a horseshoe. “Look at these shoes of equine oppression!”  
  
“Oh, barbaric Coronans!” Clementine said with disgust.  
  
“Kai, focus.” The newcomer said.  
  
“Right.” The big guy tossed the horseshoe away. “Sorry, Juniper.”  
  
Rapunzel waited until they were gone before she felt relief. Suddenly, the fireplace moved and Xavier poked his head out with a smile. “Princess.”  
  
“Xavier!” Rapunzel whispered, then hurried over to join him with the other three. Xavier closed the fireplace behind them.  
  
“The Captain of the Guards sent out many search parties to find you.” Xavier said as they walked down some stairs. “He has yet to return.” He stopped at the bottom. “But, in the meantime…”  
  
Rapunzel reached the bottom and felt relief to see the people gathered. “Princess,” Attila turned to her and clapped his hands together, “you’re back!”  
  
Rapunzel giggled and ran over to hug Freidborg and Bignose. “It is so, _so_ good to see _all_ of you!” She moved on to hug Atilla, and finally she stopped next to Monty, who was grumbling with his arms crossed over his chest. “Even you, Monty.”  
  
He looked at her and smiled brightly, but she could see that he had been hurt like Feldspar, with a bruise on his cheek. Rapunzel reached up to gently cup his cheek with concern and he glanced away, an unspoken pain in his eyes.  
  
“We stay hidden.” Xavier said, walking over to her. “Everyone in Corona now lives in fear, spending their days mining Varian’s minerals. Everyone here either got away or were rescued from the stocks after they failed to meet their quota too many times.”  
  
Rapunzel clenched her fists. “Did _Varian_ arrange this? Is this _his_ doing?”  
  
“I do not believe that young Varian is _entirely_ at fault.” Xavier said, looking at her. “He acted before from a place of passion, of grief, pain and rage. _This_ is more calculated, as if his rage has been cultivated and stoked like the flames of a forge so that it burns bright.”  
  
“Andrew.” Rapunzel said, frowning.  
  
“I _do_ believe that young Varian is the reason we are all still alive at _all_.” Xavier admitted. “He seems to be close with the Saporian leader, Andrew.”  
  
“ _Why_ is this allowed to go on? The people of Corona are so _brave_ , why wouldn’t they stand up against the Saporians?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“We cannot defy orders from the King and Queen.” Xavier shook his head. “As long as the Saporians and Varian have them until their control, we are helpless. Any act of aggression against _any_ of them is _treason_.” He smiled. “But, now that _you_ have returned, the game has changed.” He bowed down before her, and the others followed suit.  
  
Rapunzel brought her hand to her chest, wondering if she was ready for this.  
  
\--  
  
Later that night, Andrew and Clementine watched as Varian worked on his alchemy, listening as he muttered to himself. With Rapunzel and the others having gone missing, Andrew was feeling tense. “How’s it coming, Varian?”  
  
“Yeah!” Clementine chimed in.  
  
Varian stopped his muttering and looked over at them. “You _know_ I work best without an audience.” He looked back at his work and started to pour a heated beaker into a glass tube, watching as the contents made their way over to another beaker. “If my calculations are correct, when the Quirineon is heated, it will convert to a gaseous state that can be easily dispersed throughout the entire city, wiping the memories of everyone in Corona.”  
  
He looked to the side as another beaker started to shatter and then exploded, knocking him into the wall covered in the contents. “Ugh…” He groaned. “Evidently, my calculations were not correct.” He fell to the ground on his face with a grunt.  
  
Andrew chuckled a bit. “You okay?”  
  
Varian just let out a pained groan in response.  
  
“Oh, that’s not good.” Andrew cringed.  
  
Clementine looked at Andrew. “You know, even if it won’t erase people’s _memories_ , the boy’s chemical could have _other_ uses.”  
  
Andrew hummed thoughtfully as he walked over to lift the subconscious alchemist off the floor. “Let’s get him cleaned up. He was due for a nap anyway.”  
  
Clementine cackled and then they watched as the lab table fell apart, creating a small fire. Clementine walked over to clean that up as Andrew took Varian to get him washed up and lying down.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel banged on the new frying pan she was making, grumbling to herself. Pascal let out squeaks of protest as he sat on her shoulder, her aggressive strikes jostling him.  
  
“Hey, Blondie. How you holding up?” Eugene asked, walking up to her.  
  
“Me? Fine.” She lied through her teeth before shoving the frying pan into a barrel of water with a scowl, causing steam to come out and fill the area. Then she pulled it out and looked it over. “What do you think?” She asked Pascal, who squeaked his approval. “It’s not bad, right?”  
  
Eugene looked at her worriedly. “You’ve been through a _lot_ since we got back. Not to mention what happened with Cassandra.”  
  
Rapunzel forced a laugh. “What? Augh, I mean, to tell you the truth,” she picked up some paint and aggressively squeezed it out of the tube into the frying pan and then using a paintbrush to make a picture, “I haven’t even _thought_ about that… _person_.” She said bitterly, thinking of Cassandra’s declaration, her ambition, her deceit all that time.   
  
“Rapunzel, you can’t even say her _name_.” Eugene walked over and wrapped his hand around hers. “There’s a difference between setting feelings aside and burying them _so deep_ they change _who you_ _are_.”  
  
Pascal squeaked out his concern, climbing onto Eugene’s shoulder. Rapunzel looked up at him. “What are you saying, Eugene?”  
  
“What I’m saying is that you’re _not_ alone in this.” Eugene said gently.  
  
“I know.” Rapunzel said, looking away. “But, maybe it would be better if I _were_.” She said quietly.  
  
“What was that?” Eugene asked.  
  
Xavier cleared his throat, coming out to them. “Am I interrupting?”  
  
“No. Heh.” Rapunzel held up her frying pan. “I’m just making a new pan.”  
  
“Princess, we _need_ to discuss our strategy.” Xavier said patiently.  
  
“I’ll be there in a second.” Rapunzel assured him, smiling at Eugene and Pascal before she gave Eugene a quick kiss. Then she watched them go in and put her new frying pan into her satchel before stealing off into the night, heading for one of the secret passageways of the castle.  
  
“Right after I take back my kingdom.” She said to herself as she went.  
  
\--  
  
So far, so good. It looked like the Saporians were done searching for her, and there was no night patrol to worry about. Honestly, she expected there to be more Saporians, they seemed to be keeping their numbers down right now. She lowered her head and was about to go into a hidden passageway when Pascal appeared in front of her. She gasped when he let out an annoyed squeak. “Oh, Pascal.”  
  
He glared at her and she sighed. “Pascal, what are you _doing_ here?”  
  
He squeaked at her, still glaring. “What?” Rapunzel moved closer to him. “No, of _course_ I trust you. I just…I didn’t want you to get hurt, or anyone, I just wanted to take care of this on my own.” He blew a raspberry at her and she sighed. “Oh, alright. I can never fool _you_. We’re in this together.” She smiled and he smiled and hugged her hand.  
  
She knelt down. “Check this out.” She opened a grate and carefully pushed it aside before they crawled in, with Rapunzel putting it back in place behind her. Then she steeled herself and went on, Pascal climbing into her bag as she crawled along.  
  
\--  
  
“How could she just run off on her own like that?” Eugene asked in disbelief as he paced the floor. “If there’s _one_ thing I know about Rapunzel, it’s that she is _tough_. But, she’s only one person! How is she supposed to take on all those Saporians _by herself_?!”  
  
“ _And_ Varian.” Lance added.  
  
“ _You_ are _not helping_.” Eugene said through clenched teeth, thinking of just how dangerous that kid could be just on his own. With his Saporian backup? Yikes. “I’m going after her.” He declared. “Anybody else?”  
  
“Count me in!” Shorty said.  
  
“ _Anyone_ else?” Eugene stressed. Shorty frowned.  
  
\--  
  
“I’m fine, really. You don’t need to fuss over me.” Varian said as he pulled on a clean coat after having woken up from his involuntary nap, his dirty clothes sitting off to the side to be washed later.  
  
“You passed out in the lab, kid.” Andrew said, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“Yes, because I had something blow up in my face and then I hit a wall. I’m fine now.” He adjusted his goggles on his head and pulled his gloves on.  
  
Andrew got up and walked over to place his hands on his shoulders, looking in the mirror ahead of him. “You’re still thinking that causing someone an inconvenience will get you thrown out, aren’t you? Varian, I _told_ you that you don’t have to _worry_ about that from me.”  
  
“No, I know, I know. I just…there’s so much to do, and I _am_ fine. There’s no reason for me to stop working now.” He turned to him. “I appreciate the concern, but I’m going back to the lab.”  
  
“How about a snack first?” Andrew suggested.  
  
Varian sighed. “Okay, fine. Snack, then work.”  
  
Andrew rubbed his head and walked over to open the door. “Let’s get going, kid.”  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel had forgotten how… _lonely_ the castle was at night, especially without any guards or maids working. She crept through the dark corridors, making her way through, hoping she could find Varian’s lab and destroy his work before he used it on anyone.   
  
The problem was, she had _no_ idea where his lab _was_.  
  
“Well, lately I’ve been into essential oils, you know, peppermint and eucalyptus, or...” The big guy, Kai, was saying to one of the others. Rapunzel watched them to make sure they were faced away from her and then darted across. “Huh? What was that?” Kai asked, walking over to where Rapunzel was hiding. Rapunzel held her breath, watching the man anxiously.  
  
“It wasn’t anything. Come on.” The other man said in exasperation. “Oh. If you ask me, you should lay off the essential oils.” Kai turned and walked back to him and Rapunzel slumped against the wall in relief. “They make you hear things.”  
  
Rapunzel continued on, heading down the hall and checking doors, hoping that one of them would lead to Varian’s lab. She saw a shadow on the wall ahead of her as a woman said, “Kai! Is that you?” and quickly darted into the room next to her, closing the door behind her carefully to avoid making a sound.  
  
She looked up and realized she was in Cassandra’s room. Cassandra, who had turned on her. Cassandra, who was like a sister to her, and apparently technically was her _adopted_ one since Gothel was her mother. Cassandra, who she’d adored and cared for…and apparently never felt the same.  
  
How much of it had been a _lie_? She walked away from the door and opened her closet, looking at the evidence of all the time she knew her. A picture of them together, with Eugene ripped out of it. The rose Andrew gave her. The necklace Varian made her. Her old Lady-in-Waiting dress…she picked up the dress and went to sit on the bed, looking at it with tears in her eyes.  
  
How had it all gone so wrong? They were _so close_ , she thought, but Cassandra was talking like she didn’t _matter_ to her. Of course, she mattered! Why did it matter what everyone _else_ thought? How could Rapunzel do _anything_ about _that_? She tried to show her that she cared for her _so much_ , but it was just…so _hard_ , sometimes, to keep her spirits up when Cassandra was so…cold!   
  
She buried her face in the fabric, mourning her lost friendship with the woman. “Oh, Cass…”  
  
“Well, well, well.” She tensed and looked up see Varian standing in the doorway with Andrew and that Saporian woman, what was her name? Juniper? “Look what we found.” He smirked at her.  
  
She let go of the dress and got up, backing up to the wall as they stepped towards her. She reached for her frying pan, but they were too quick and she was pinned against the wall on her front by the woman. “Ngh!”  
  
“Nice of you to make it easy for us to find you.” Andrew smirked. “Let’s lock her up in the dungeon.”  
  
“Ngh! Let go of me!” Rapunzel squirmed as she was tied up and then she was roughly hauled out of the room, Pascal being lifted by Varian when he tried to help.  
  
“Relax, we won’t hurt her.” Varian assured the lizard that squirmed in his grasp.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel was shoved into the cell and Varian locked Pascal into a cuff before Rapunzel was untied and the door closed and locked on her. She glared out at the people gathered outside her cell, her fists clenched. “Varian.”  
  
He raised his head a bit, a silent indication he was listening. Andrew was by his side as always, his ever-present puppet master, if Xavier was to be believed. In that case, maybe she could get through to Varian.   
  
“ _How_ could you _do_ this?” She demanded, walking up to the bars.  
  
Something unreadable crossed his gaze, but it was gone so quickly, replaced by the smug smile. “I want you to know, I wish it didn’t come to this.” He knocked on the bars with a gloved hand with a grin, then grabbed the bars, leaning in aggressively. “But when someone _trusts you_ and you _betray_ them? Well,” he stepped back, spreading his arms out, “ _this_ is what happens.”  
  
He started to walk away and Rapunzel glared at him. “My Kingdom _needed_ me. I _couldn’t_ do anything about the amber, and I _had_ to stay. I _never_ meant to break my promise to you, Varian. We were _friends_.”  
  
“Oh, sure, I know.” Varian came back over to her, pacing in front of her cell as he spoke. “Big storm, demon legend, state of emergency. But, what about all the months _after_ that?” He asked with a cold smile. “Why didn’t you come when it was _over_? When your kingdom _no longer needed you_?”  
  
She didn’t have an answer for him, and he chuckled, stopping in front of her. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. But, see, that’s the beauty of my plan. In the end, when your memory has been erased,” he stepped closer to her, then walked to the side, trailing his fingers along the metal door as he walked, “we can be _friends_ again.”  
  
“But, you’re only making it _worse_.” She insisted, gripping the bars tightly, watching him go. “Varian, I _swear_ , I never meant to abandon you! Things just kept piling up and—"  
  
“More excuses, Princess?” He asked calmly.  
  
“None of these people did _anything_ to you!” Rapunzel insisted.  
  
“Don’t act like you know anything about my life! You were too busy to take a few hours out of your day to check in on me, or even _ask_ about me!” He said, turning to her. “Did you even _know_ about the rumors before I _told_ you? _Did you_?”  
  
Rapunzel pursed her lips and shook her head. Varian let out a pitiful chuckle. “Of course, you didn’t. Because I was a blemish in your perfect little world the moment I came for help, so you kept finding excuses to be ‘too busy’ to help.”  
  
He stepped closer to her. “And it’s not about what _they_ did to _me_ , Rapunzel. It’s about what _I_ did to this _whole_ _Kingdom_. I want them to forget, so that I can safely walk the streets without being stoned or attacked. Ask my friends, they’ll tell you how many times people have tried to _kill_ me before we took over. Guards came and attacked me in my home in Old Corona. Townsfolk ambushed me in the woods. As long as _they_ remember, it’s not safe for _me_!”  
  
He clenched his fists, turning away from her. “It became quite clear to me, there is no… _no way_ that they will _ever_ forgive me.” He said, his body trembling in his large coat.  
  
“Varian…maybe I can…I can _talk_ to them.” Rapunzel coaxed him.  
  
He tensed, then laughed bitterly, counting his crimes off on his fingers. “I took their queen prisoner, I-I _threatened_ their princess, I helped _these_ guys take over their kingdom! And that’s just the _worst_ of it! I stole a mystical flower, I drugged the _entire castle_ , I terrorized _everyone_ into hiding in their homes! And you think _anyone_ will _ever_ give me a second chance?! How _optimistic_ can you _be_? This is downright _delusional_!”  
  
Rapunzel gripped the bars tightly. She had to get _through_ to him somehow! “They will, I _know_ they will! I’ll _help_ you get that second chance! Just…please, Varian, reconsider your plan!”  
  
Varian laughed bitterly again and walked over to look at her. “No, Princess. Making them forget is the _only_ way to fix what I’ve done.”  
  
Andrew inhaled slowly and then let it out just as slowly. “Yeeeeah, about that? There has been a _slight_ change of plans, buddy.” He walked over to Varian. “With the Princess here, the people are rising up. We don’t have _time_ to wait for you to perfect your alchemy, so we’re going to take what you have so far to make sure they never hurt you again – for good.” He placed his hands on his shoulders and steered him away from Rapunzel. “Trust me, it’s better this way.”  
  
“W-What do you mean?” Varian asked.  
  
“Quirineon explodes!” Clementine said cheerfully. “We’re going to use it to destroy the city!”  
  
“No!” Rapunzel cried in horror.  
  
Varian’s eyes widened and he pulled away from Andrew. “N-No, you said—you _promised_ that no one would get hurt! We agreed on that!”  
  
“Times have changed, kid, it’s too dangerous now to wait any longer.” Andrew reasoned. “With any luck, they’ll clear out of the area and get the picture after the first wave. We need to tear this place down and rebuild it, anyway.”  
  
“No, Andrew, this _isn’t_ what we planned!” Varian snapped.  
  
“Plans _change_ , Varian!” Andrew said firmly, and Varian tensed a bit. “…I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to raise my voice. I know how you get about that.” He placed his hand on his shoulder. “But you _need_ to understand, it’s too _dangerous_ to keep waiting. The only alternative is to go around zapping everyone with the wand, and that can be _exhausting_ for whoever uses it. Plus, we likely won’t hit everyone. As we speak, they’re probably planning to storm the castle. We need to scare them into submission, into _never_ attempting to kill you again. You understand, don’t you, buddy?”  
  
Varian looked over at Rapunzel, and Andrew gently cupped his cheek to turn his face towards him again, looking at him with a calm smile. “Come on, _trust_ me. I’ve been with you through all the pain, all the grief, all the fear. I’ve _always_ protected you, so let me protect you again.” He placed his hand on his shoulder. “I have _never_ abandoned you, so don’t turn on me now. Don’t you want to be on the right side of history and undo the wrongs of the past?”  
  
Varian looked at Rapunzel again, who was looking at him with a pleading expression. “…You’re right.” He looked up at him. “Silly of me…”  
  
Andrew rubbed his head and let him go, standing back. Varian walked over to look at Rapunzel, who gripped the bars pleadingly. “Varian…”  
  
Varian stared at Rapunzel silently, his fists clenched, and then he opened them, his posture relaxed, before he slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a blue alchemy bomb, turning to them. “ _Silly_ _of me_ to think that someone would actually _keep their promise for once_! _Silly_ _of me_ to think that I could _trust_ anyone! You’re right, Andrew, I _do_ want to be on the right side of history and undo the wrongs of the past. MY past!” He threw the bomb and it went off.  
  
When the flash cleared, they saw that they were covered in soap suds. Varian chuckled awkwardly. “Uh…sorry, guys, that was a…bath bomb…” He said nervously, stepping back as Andrew stepped towards him.  
  
“Varian,” Andrew said calmly stopping in front of him, “you are going to unlock that cell, hand me the key, go inside, and shut the door. And when I get back, we are going to have a little _talk_. Is that clear?”  
  
Varian nodded silently, then turned and unlocked the door before handing the key to Andrew and opening it, closing it behind him. Andrew locked it and then stood back. “I’m not mad, Varian. I’m disappointed. You’ve let her very _presence_ sway you, and that’s dangerous. So, talk all you want with her while we’re gone, I’ll see you again soon and we’ll see how you’re feeling then.”  
  
Varian stood next to Rapunzel, looking ashamed of himself. Andrew sighed and moved away from the door. “You need to _grow up_ , Varian. Sometimes, plans _change_ , and you _have_ to accept that. _Stop_ acting like a _child_.” He walked off with the others, leaving Varian wincing from his words. “Let’s move, people. We launch the airship in twenty.”  
  
Varian waited until they were gone and then walked over to sit on one of the cots, away from Rapunzel, and curled up with his face turned towards the wall, pulling his scarf up over his face in shame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good speech, but the ending was just embarrassing and he knows it.


	4. Redemption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Locked in a cell, Rapunzel and Varian have a heart-to-heart that will decide their future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel tried in vain to pull apart the bars of the cell door, grunting and groaning in frustration.  
  
“All I ever wanted was for my father to be proud.”  
  
She stopped and looked over to see he was looking over at her now. He turned his face away again as he continued. “Of course, if he were free from the amber _now_ , and saw everything I’ve done, well, he’d be ashamed.”  
  
Rapunzel gripped the bars as she looked at him. “You know, standing up to Andrew just now was…pretty brave.” She stepped back and sat on the other cot; her head bowed as she sighed. “Look, _I know_ how much it hurts to have someone you trust let you down. I mean, after you go through something like _that_ , how can you ever trust anyone again?”  
  
He looked up at her. “…What happened?”  
  
She looked at him. “…You asked before about…about Cass. Truth is…she betrayed me. She took something that was intended to be mine and said she would take everything else that was mine, too. My parents…Corona…she wanted it all, all because she had been…all because her mother kidnapped me, and everyone around her after that was focused on getting me back or protecting me.” She looked down. “I…I trusted her with my life…and she told me that she had been planning to turn on me for… _months_. That it was all a lie.”  
  
He glanced away. “That sounds…terrible.”  
  
“I know, it’s not comparable to what you went through. I mean, the false rumors, the loneliness, the abandonment and isolation, not to mention seeing your father like that day after day…I don’t know how you lasted as long as you did.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I really didn’t mean to abandon you, Varian, and I am so… _so sorry_ for that. That you… _felt_ that _pain_. When Cassandra left me…I felt like my heart was going to shatter. And I think that’s what _you_ must’ve felt when you were thrown back out into the blizzard alone.”  
  
He nodded. “Yeah…I felt…I felt like my heart had been encased in ice…and then shattered to pieces. Like I could never feel… _safe_ again. And then…then the _men_ …”  
  
“’The men’?” Rapunzel frowned.  
  
“Do you remember the letter I sent you?” He asked. “Because I do. ‘Rapunzel, I need your help, now more than ever. I may have discovered the key to the rocks. Find the bronze graphtych in my lab. But, be careful, they are watching and will do anything to stop you.’ The ‘they’ I referred to at the time was the men that came after you. They had been hounding me like wild dogs since a week after the storm. Your father sent them.”  
  
“The Royal Guard.” Rapunzel recalled.  
  
“They kept me from going to you for help sooner. Forced me to resort to distance contact, to sending you a kite.” He sighed heavily, leaning into the wall. “There’s no point in dwelling on it now. He doesn’t remember, and it’s not your doing.”  
  
Rapunzel got up and walked over to him, throwing her arms around him. He gasped in surprise as she tightened her hold a bit. “Princess…”  
  
“I can’t do anything about what my father did…I can only apologize for my _own_ actions. I was thoughtless, careless, idealistic and assumed everything would be fine. That everything was perfectly happy. But, just like with Cass, I was lied to for _months_ and then…then it all kind of…blew up in my face. And the _worst_ part is that you were the biggest victim in all of it, and I treated you like you were an insane criminal after you stole the flower!” Tears slipped down her cheeks. “I don’t _deserve_ to call myself your friend. I’ve been _horrible_ to you. You’re only a teenager, and I put _so much_ on you and then didn’t do MY part.” She looked at him, tears freely spilling down her cheeks. “I am so, so _sorry_ Varian. I’m so sorry that I didn’t think to check on you, that I got so caught up in myself, that I didn’t even spare you _a_ _few hours_ of my time. I’m _so_ sorry. Can you _ever_ forgive me?”  
  
He looked up at her, tears slipping down his own cheeks. “Rapunzel…” He clung to her. “I’m so sorry…I didn’t _want_ to hurt anyone, I-I swear I…I just wanted to make him proud, I wanted to help, I-I wanted him _back_ , he’s all I had…all I _have_ left, and I…I did terrible things, and now…now Corona is going to suffer because of _me_ , again! And I can’t do _a-anything_ to stop it!”  
  
He buried his face in her shoulder, sobbing. “I’m so sorry!”  
  
She held him close, gently stroking his hair soothingly. “I’m so sorry…and I forgive you.”  
  
He sniffled, pulling back as he wiped at his eyes. “I-I forgive…I forgive _you_.”  
  
She smiled and kissed his forehead. “So, what do you say we find a way out of here, huh?”  
  
“Okay, this is _very_ sweet. But, honestly, I’m _offended_!” They looked up to see Eugene and Lance at the cell door, a lockpick in Eugene’s hand. “I can’t _believe_ you were going to break into something, and you didn’t even _ask_ me! I mean, it’s kind of my _thing_.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled a bit, wiping at her eyes as she got up. Varian got up and stood behind her nervously, moving his scarf over his face again. “Thank goodness you’re here!” She said as the door swung open. She ran forward and threw her arms around Eugene.  
  
Varian remained in the cell, wiping at his eyes as he hid half his face under the scarf. Lance walked up to him and looked at him closely. “…Wow, you are _way_ younger than I remember.”  
  
He glanced away, keeping his scarf up. Rapunzel walked over and placed her hand on his shoulder. “Guys, I _know_ you might not like it, but you’re going to have to _trust_ him. He’s the one that made the formula that the Saporians are going to use to destroy Corona.”  
  
“After everything Hair Stripe here has done, you’re going to _trust_ him?” Eugene asked as he unlocked Pascal’s cuff, earning a wince from Varian at his sharp tone.  
  
“Yes.” Rapunzel said, gently squeezing Varian’s shoulder comfortingly. “He’s _changed_ , Eugene. And he’s going to _prove_ it.”  
  
Eugene looked unsure. “Okay, fine. What’s the plan?”  
  
“First…we get Maximus. He’s in the stable.” Varian said, looking at them. “Everyone will be at the dock, so no one will be there to stop us from getting him. His saddle and bridle are in the throne room. Then we head to the dock. We’ll never make it in time without him.”  
  
“Got it.” Rapunzel nodded, and they hurried to get Maximus.  
  
\--  
  
Varian directed them to where the airship was docked, the four of them and Maximus ducking low behind some crates and bags on the dock. While the airship was being loaded up with barrels, Andrew was helping the King and Queen into a carriage, which Kai was preparing to drive.  
  
“There’s enough Quirineon on that ship to _destroy_ Corona ten times over.” Varian said grimly.  
  
“Is there _anything_ you can _do_?” Rapunzel asked him.  
  
“If you can get me on that ship, I think I can neutralize it.” Varian said, ducking out of sight when a Saporian looked his way briefly.  
  
“Take them to the outskirts of Corona to watch their Kingdom fall.” They heard Andrew saying, and Varian tensed, looking a bit guilty as he heard the man’s voice. “Once it’s done, get rid of them.”  
  
“What about the Princess?” He heard Juniper ask him as he got up onto the airship.  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ll take care of her in a different way. Can’t kill the Sundrop, after all.” Andrew replied.  
  
Rapunzel clutched at her hair. “…Why can’t they kill the Sundrop?” She whispered.  
  
“I don’t know.” Varian admitted. “We didn’t talk about that stuff, I usually, uh, blocked out the magic talk.”  
  
“Well, I’m going to need you to pay attention to magic talk after this is over. I _really_ need your help against Cass.” She whispered.  
  
“And Varian?” Juniper asked.  
  
“…I’ll talk with him. He’ll come to his senses sooner or later.” Andrew assured her.  
  
“You’re going to give him another chance, after he betrayed us? Andrew, the law—”  
  
“I _know_ the law!” Andrew snapped.  
  
“’The law’?” Eugene asked quietly.  
  
Varian sighed. “‘Traitors don’t live in Saporia’. Traitors are put to death on sight.” He explained quietly, a grim expression on his face.  
  
“Now fly, mighty steed!” Kai said, and Varian looked over at him as he drove the carriage with the King and Queen inside.  
  
“Eugene, I need you guys to free my parents.” Rapunzel turned to him.  
  
“You heard her, boys.” Eugene said, and Lance and Maximus nodded. “Let’s go.” He said, and they hurried off.  
  
Andrew came to the edge of the ship. “For Saporia!” He declared, cutting the rope keeping them down. The airship started to lift into the air.  
  
Varian watched as his old cellmate turned away and slowly stood up. “We _need_ to get up there.”  
  
Rapunzel untied her hair and smiled. “Let’s do this.”  
  
\--  
  
“With this first barrel, we plant the seeds of a new Saporia.” Andrew said to the others. “Let’s just take a second to know that we are _truly_ present in this moment.”  
  
Juniper rolled her eyes as Andrew and Clementine took a deep breath before releasing it. Then Andrew and Clementine picked up the barrel and tossed it over the edge.  
  
They knew something was amiss when they didn’t hear any explosion. “What is going on?” Andrew said as they looked over the edge. They heard something land behind them as Princess Rapunzel said, “Drop something?” in a teasing way.  
  
They turned to find Rapunzel and Varian with the barrel they’d just thrown. “You!” Andrew said with an annoyed tone.  
  
Varian tensed, but looked at him with a defiant smile.  
  
“Varian,” Rapunzel said as she grabbed her hair, “get your alchemy belt and neutralize the Coronion—”  
  
“I-I…Quirineon, Rapunzel.” Varian corrected her. “Say it with me. Quiri—whoa!” He ducked to avoid a punch from Maisie and then ran for it with the man chasing him down.  
  
“Focus on the girl. I’ll get the kid.” Andrew said as Maisie was lassoed by hair.  
  
“Right, got it.” Juniper nodded and ran over to attack Rapunzel as Maisie recovered, Andrew running after Varian. “So, you can use your hair like rope! That’s a cool trick! What _else_ can you do with it?” She asked, jumping to dodge her hair lashing at her.  
  
\--  
  
Varian noticed Andrew running at him and he threw a green alchemy bomb that made his sword crumble to pieces. “Not bad for a ‘kid’, huh, Andrew?”  
  
Andrew tossed aside the useless hilt. “Varian, I locked you up so that you would be _safe_ until we could talk things over.” He said calmly. “ _Not_ so you could choose to _completely betray me_. Do you _know_ what they would have _done_ to you if it wasn’t for me? My _sacrifices_?!”  
  
Varian flinched. “I-I _know_ that! But I also know that you’re not a _killer_ , Andrew! And I won’t stand by and let my creation be _used_ to kill!” He smiled hopefully. “It’s not too late! We can still make things right, undo our mistakes!”  
  
“This isn’t about _our_ mistakes. This is about what Corona did to my people.” Andrew walked towards him. “And it’s about how you _betrayed_ me, when you _know_ the law. When you _know_ what I have to _do_ to you now.”  
  
“Andrew…” Varian clenched his fists. “You wouldn’t…”  
  
Andrew swiped at him and Varian ducked and ran to the side, with Andrew chasing him down. He threw alchemy bombs at him, but Andrew just dodged out of the way. Rapunzel had taken down Juniper and Maisie and noticed his plight, but Clementine got in her way.  
  
Varian ducked out of the way of another knife that Andrew had and he winced as he cut a rope, instead.  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel called as the ship rocked from losing one of the things keeping it up.  
  
Varian pulled out another alchemy bomb, backing away from Andrew with wide, shaking eyes. “Andrew…I’m sorry…”  
  
The man’s expression softened for a bit before he grabbed Varian roughly y the front of his shirt and hauled him over the edge. Varian yelped in alarm as he hung onto his arm for dear life. “Why did you _do_ it, Varian? After _all_ that we’ve faced together because of the royal family, because of _her_ , why would you _betray_ me for her? After all Corona has done to us, _why would you betray me for it_?!” He demanded.  
  
“Because…you’re not a _killer_ , Andrew.” Varian said, looking up into his eyes pleadingly. “You’re _not_. You’re…a sweet guy, who loves animals and protects kids and…you’re _not_ a killer. I don’t want people to be hurt…and I don’t want _you_ to hurt people. _Please_.”  
  
Andrew tightened his hold on his shirt, clenching his teeth as he looked at him.  
  
Rapunzel managed to bind Clementine with her hair and then spun her away to slam into the wall with a groan of pain. “Varian!”  
  
Andrew glanced over at her, then threw Varian back onto the boat, stepping back from him. “I won’t hurt _you_ …but Corona still has to fall!” He ran to grab one of the barrels to throw it.  
  
Varian threw an alchemy bomb at him before he could grab one and Andrew gasped as it hit, encasing him in a bubble. He sighed heavily and looked at him with an annoyed expression and Varian walked up to place his hand on the bubble. “I can’t let you _destroy_ yourself, Andrew.”  
  
“Corona already did that _for_ me.” Andrew said grimly.  
  
Juniper got up with a growl and ran to slash at the ropes keeping the ship aloft. Varian yelped as the ship tipped and then cried out in alarm as they all started to fall off. Alchemy bombs fell out of Varian’s jacket as he was caught by Rapunzel’s hair to keep him from meeting the same fate and the Saporians were all encased in bubbles before they could hit the ground below, the Princess holding onto one of the sides tightly.  
  
“Good luck stopping _this_ one.” Andrew said as he drifted down with the others, safe in his bubble.  
  
Rapunzel looked over at them and then at Varian as he climbed up to join her. “Varian?” She asked as he held onto the side with her, his body trembling.  
  
Varian looked at her, then at the single engine left to hold them up. “That single burner _cannot_ generate enough heat to keep this ship in the air. If it crashes, it’ll _destroy_ all of Corona.” He explained grimly.  
  
“What if we use the Quirineon?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
Varian looked thoughtful, running the possibilities through his head, looking towards the barrels. “Yes, yes! Heating the Quirineon _will_ increase the temperature enough for the balloons to rise. We just have to get it _high_ enough so tha-that when it _explodes_ , it doesn’t _destroy_ the _city_.”  
  
He looked down, tightening his grip on the wall as he resigned himself. “You need to get off the ship. Rapunzel, I’ve got to clean up my own mess.”  
  
She frowned. “No, _you_ do not have a shield of magical hair that will _protect_ you when this thing explodes.”  
  
“Rapunzel, it _has_ to be _me_.” He insisted. “If…if I can’t…if I let someone _else_ …if _I_ can’t take care of this _myself_ …I will _never_ be able to forgive myself for allowing it to happen, for creating _another_ mess for others to clean up.”  
  
She looked thoughtful. “We’ll do it together, then.” She moved her hand over his. “Okay?”  
  
He looked at her, then nodded. “Okay.”  
  
She smiled and then looked towards the burner. “Alright, let’s get those barrels over here.” She swung her hair up to wrap around a higher, more stable surface near the burners, then grabbed him and swung them both up. Then she left him there and went to grab a few barrels while he held onto the rope to steady himself.  
  
“I hope this works.” He said anxiously. “Ohhh, this is _really_ high up.” He whimpered.  
  
She rejoined him with barrels caught in her hair and set them down. “Okay, let’s do this!” She said, and they positioned them under the burner together before removing the lids and turning the burner so it was pointing the fire at the barrels. “Let’s hope this works!”  
  
He nodded, watching as the Quirineon started to bubble. “It’s working!”  
  
“Great!” Rapunzel nodded, then gasped as they smashed through the top of a building. “Because I was _really_ starting to worry there.”  
  
“Heh…” He chuckled nervously, looking around as they started to lift into the air.  
  
She looked at him. “Are you _sure_ you don’t want me to set you down somewhere safely?”  
  
“Rapunzel, I _have_ to clean up my mess.” He looked at her. “I…I’ve done so much bad…I _can’t_ let someone else take care of this for me.”  
  
“Okay.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“We’re gonna want to get up higher, though.” Varian said, climbing up a rope. Rapunzel nodded and followed him up on another rope, Pascal hanging onto her for dear life.  
  
“Hey, uh,” she said as they climbed up onto the balloon, “what happened to Ruddiger?”  
  
“Oh, he’s…he’s around.” Varian looked around as they stood on top. Rapunzel wrapped her hair around him and pulled him closer to her. “Th-Thanks. He’ll, uh...show up, when he’s no longer mad at me.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, then gasped as the balloon started to catch fire. “Oh boy. Oookay, here we go.”  
  
“We’re certainly high enough.” Varian said nervously, then looked at her as she unwrapped her hair from around him.  
  
“Ready for a magic trick?” She asked cheerfully.  
  
He stared at her blankly. “…Really?”  
  
She giggled and then focused as her hair started to glow. It drifted around them just as the ship started to explode and she wrapped her arms around him as they were completely surrounded by her glowing, golden hair. He hung on tightly as they fell, the sound of the explosion around them.  
  
“See? We’re okay.” She assured him.  
  
“I’m _not_ letting go until we’re safely on the ground.” He said, hanging on tighter.  
  
She smiled and rubbed his head, then looked at Pascal. “He’s so nervous. First time in the magic ball of hair.”  
  
Pascal did an “aww” motion.  
  
Suddenly, the glowing stopped and Rapunzel gasped as the ball fell open. She held onto Varian tightly with one arm as Pascal ducked into Varian’s coat pocket and swung her hair out to catch around a point on top of a building, which she used to swing them safely down to the ground.  
  
Once on the ground, they dropped to their knees and she gently stroked Varian’s hair. “We’re safe. You can let go now.”  
  
He slowly looked up at her. “We’re done? We’re safe?”  
  
She nodded, then looked up as Eugene came running to them. “Eugene.”  
  
“You did it.” He smiled at them, stopping next to them with a relieved expression on his face.  
  
Varian slumped against Rapunzel. “I can’t move.”  
  
“First time in the magic ball of hair, he’s freaked out.” Rapunzel said as Eugene knelt in front of her and cupped her cheek in his hand. “Plus, you know, the almost dying part.” She leaned into his hand.  
  
“You did great, Sunshine.” Eugene smiled fondly, then looked at Varian. “ _Both_ of you did.”  
  
“I have decided I _really_ don’t like heights.” Varian said, still clinging to her as Pascal climbed out of his pocket and onto his shoulder.  
  
“Haha, yeah, I don’t blame you!” Eugene grinned.  
  
Varian sighed and wiped at his chin with his glove, surprising the two of them by making the goatee disappear.  
  
“Wait, it was _drawn_ on?” Rapunzel asked. Eugene bust up laughing and Varian blushed.  
  
“I did the same thing when _I_ was younger!” Eugene said, chuckling. “Don’t worry, kid, you’ll grow a _real_ one in a few years. I was just as goatee-less as you are, until up I turned eighteen.”  
  
Varian smiled a bit. “Got a few years to go, then.”  
  
Eugene nodded and placed his hand on Varian’s shoulder. “So, now that you’re not shaking in your fancy boots, what do you say we go round up your, uh, _friends_ , hm?”  
  
Varian sighed. “…Yeah. And then…I got a lot of stuff I need to undo, and…apologies to give. And a mime to get out of the stocks.”  
  
“You put _Ulf_ in the _stocks_?” Eugene asked in disbelief, taking his hand off his shoulder.  
  
Varian shrugged. “Sorry, I was a bad guy. Bad guys do bad things.”  
  
Rapunzel snerked, then giggled and finally just fully laughed. Eugene and Varian looked at each other, confused, before they awkwardly joined in, laughing with her for a good five minutes before it petered out and she wiped at her eyes. “Sorry, that was probably weird.”  
  
“A bit.” Eugene helped them both up and Varian finally let go of her. “Come on, let’s get the King and Queen back home, and round up some Saporians.”  
  
Varian nodded. “And then…will you tell me what happened with Cassandra? What did she take, what was at the end of your journey?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “We’ll tell you.” She nodded. “But, not now. There’s too much to do right now.”  
  
He nodded, and they headed for where Lance was with the King and Queen. “And also,” Rapunzel said as they walked, “I made a promise, and I _fully_ intend to keep it.”  
  
\--  
  
They located all the bubbled Saporians and found Kai unconscious on the shore but alive, to Varian’s great relief, and they managed to get them all back into the dungeon before Varian tossed in the chemical to release them from the bubbles. He had changed into his old clothes after they found them and he stood at the door looking at them as they checked themselves over, Eugene and Rapunzel standing nearby.  
  
“I’m not letting you get sent back into High-Security.” Varian assured them. “And…I hope that we can work towards a… _peaceful_ solution to our…problem.”  
  
Rapunzel walked over and placed her hand on Varian’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I _won’t_ forget about them down here. Come on, let’s go free your father.”  
  
“I’ll watch ‘em.” Eugene assured them. “At least until the guards come back.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “There’s a _lot_ of recovery we need to do.” She took Varian’s hand. “Let’s start.” She smiled and pulled him along.  
  
Varian looked over his shoulder at Andrew, feeling relieved.  
  
\--  
  
Varian looked ahead of them as they rode on Maximus to Old Corona, feeling a bit anxious between Rapunzel’ arms as she held the reins. They stopped outside his lab and she climbed off before watching Varian climb down. She considered briefly how much taller he’d grown, to not need help on and off a horse anymore. “Okay, first things first, we’re gonna need some water.” She said as they walked up to the door.  
  
“Water?” Varian walked after her, looking at Pascal sitting on his shoulder with confusion. “What’s the water for?”  
  
Rapunzel just smiled secretively as she led them into the building.  
  
Varian went to get Rapunzel the water and came back with the bucket of it, stopping at the door that actually led into his lab. She took the bucket and smiled encouragingly and he nervously reached over to open it, looking in.  
  
It always hurt to see his father in this state. He clutched at his chest with shaking hands and Rapunzel walked in ahead of him, holding the bucket close. He steeled himself and walked in next to her, looking up at the amber as she set the bucket down to untie and then wrap her hair around it. “Will this…really work?” He asked hopefully.  
  
“Well…if _this_ doesn’t work, then _nothing_ will.” She admitted, picking up the bucket. “Varian, listen to me _very carefully_. Once I start this incantation, I _won’t_ be able to stop it.” She turned to him. “And it could _seriously_ harm you and your father, so,” she put the bucket into his arms and he wrapped his arms tightly around it before she placed her hands on his shoulders. “I’m _trusting_ you to _snap me out of it_ once your father is free.”  
  
He glanced to the side, feeling a bit nervous, but then looked at her with a smile. “You can trust me, Rapunzel.”  
  
She knelt down and grabbed some of her hair lying on the ground, holding it in a tight grip as she faced the amber. “Wither and decay. End this destiny.” Varian watched as her blonde hair turned completely black as she spoke. “Break these earthly chains and set the spirit free.”  
  
Varian watched in awe as she spoke, and then realized her eyes were black, and streaks of gold were moving through her black hair like water as a wind came from nowhere and blew through her hair and clothes. It was very…magical. He looked away from her and towards his father, gasping as he saw the amber starting to melt around him. The note up above was revealed, as well as his hand. He was coming free!  
  
“It’s working!” He breathed, feeling relief.  
  
“ _Wither and decay._ ” Rapunzel started to sing.  
  
Varian stepped back from the melted amber, looking down at it. “It’s working!”  
  
“ _End this destiny._ ” Rapunzel continued, as Varian looked up to see his father being fully freed from the amber, bent over as if he was in pain.  
  
“Ah! Dad!” He started to run to him, but stopped and turned back to Rapunzel, looking at the bucket before he splashed her with the water. It didn’t wake her up, though, and he looked back at his father to see her hair was starting to wrap around the man. “That’s not good.” He said anxiously, then turned back to Rapunzel. “Rapunzel!” He reached out to grab her arms and gasped as his gloves melted away. “Ah!”  
  
His mother’s gloves! They’d been destroyed! But…why wasn’t he hurt?  
  
“ _Break these earthly chains,”_ she continued, bringing him back to reality.  
  
“No, no, no…” He pulled his hands back, looking back at his father again, then looked at her as she continued to sing and reached up with his bare hands to cup her face. “Rapunzel, please…” He pleaded. “Wake up…” He bowed his head, feeling at a loss.  
  
“ _And set the spi…_ ”  
  
He saw her hair turning blonde again on the floor and looked up to see her eyes losing their black color before she dropped to her knees in front of him, out of his hold. He knelt in front of her anxiously. “Rapunzel? Are you okay?”  
  
She blinked slowly and then looked up at him with a smile, brushing her hair behind her ear.  
  
He smiled, tears of relief slipping down his cheeks, and threw his arms around her, which she happily returned as they held each other tightly. “Thank you.” He said, his face buried in her shoulder. Then she let him go and he got up, smiling back at her as he ran to his father, who was holding his head as he slowly looked up, relief in his eyes when Varian came running to him. “Dad! Dad, you’re alive!” He cried out as his father opened his arms and Varian slotted himself right between them, clinging to him like the world depended on it.  
  
“Oh, son.” he said softly, gently wiping tears from Varian’s cheeks.  
  
Varian smiled up at him, then noticed the note that he’d long been curious about being melted away in the amber. “Dad, the note!” He tried to grab it, but it just fell to pieces in his hand and he looked up at his father. “What…what did it say?” He asked desperately, clinging to his vest. “I-I have to know!”  
  
Quirin gently cupped his cheek. “I’ll tell you everything soon…but, for now, what I most want you to know is that…I love you, son. And I am so _proud_ of you. I always _have_ been, even if I…was too proud _myself_ to say it.”  
  
“Dad…” Varian threw his arms around him happily. “I love you, dad!”  
  
“I love you too, son.” He said softly.  
  
Rapunzel smiled at him as she finished tying up her hair into a braid again and then turned to leave, giving them privacy. As she opened the door, she was passed by a blur of gray and looked over to see Ruddiger climbing between the two of them.  
  
“Ruddiger, you’re back!” Varian cried with relief.  
  
“’Back’?” Quirin asked.  
  
“I…I have so much to tell you, dad. It’s…it’s been a whole year. A painful…long year without you.” Varian said softly, looking up at him. “And I…I hope you don’t hate me for this…”  
  
“Son, I could _never_ hate you.” Quirin assured him.  
  
Rapunzel smiled and closed the door, walking back to Maximus. “Let’s go home, Max.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a new start. 
> 
> ((A/N: 'kay, guys, I kind of need some form of validation or at least a sign of interest to feel motivated to continue, so you're getting a freebie this time, but the next chapter is being held hostage until I get a comment. I have a lot written, so it's up to you guys on how often you get updates.))


	5. Restoration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the dawning of a new day, it's time to make things right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

There was a lot to be done. The next morning, Rapunzel and Eugene rode out to Old Corona to get Varian, where they found him and his father sitting at the table with an old helmet between them, the emblem of the Brotherhood on it. “Heeey, sorry to interrupt.” Rapunzel said awkwardly, guessing that they just intruded on a family discussion. “The door was unlocked. Uhm, we can wait, if you want.”  
  
“No, we’re…we’re done.” Varian said, looking a bit shaken. “Wow…”  
  
“You gonna be okay?” Eugene asked.  
  
“I’ll…uhm…adjust. It’s a lot to take in. I didn’t even know my father could _fight_ ; much less be part of some…warrior cult.” Varian looked at his father, who laughed a bit.  
  
“Yeah, well, imagine finding out you’re the son of the _leader_ of that warrior cult.” Eugene walked over to him. “Apparently, I’m a prince!”  
  
Varian chuckled. “Seriously? A prince?”  
  
“Yeah. And my dad is a little bit nuts.” He looked at Quirin. “Don’t blame you for taking off and leaving him.”  
  
“The whole Kingdom was ‘a little bit nuts’.” Quirin nodded.  
  
“Right, well, we have some stuff that we need Varian’s help with, so if we could take him with us that would be great?” Rapunzel said, walking over to place her hand on Varian’s shoulder.  
  
Varian sighed and got up. “Yep, I gotta undo my mistakes. See you later, dad.”  
  
Quirin took his hand in his, and Rapunzel noticed that he had gotten a new pair of gloves to cover his hands with. “Take care of yourself, son. I’ll get started on assessing the damage here and seeing what needs to be done to repair everything.”  
  
Varian nodded, then looked at Rapunzel. “You _still_ haven’t told me what happened to Cassandra.”  
  
Rapunzel chuckled a bit nervously. “Uhhhh, _one_ stressful thing at a time, please. First things first, we need to shut down the mines, fix my parents’ memories, and…get you some new clothes, those don’t fit anymore. What happened to your other ones?”  
  
“You mean my _Saporian_ clothes?” Varian raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Yeah, okay, we’ll get you some new clothes.” Rapunzel nodded. “THEN we can take care of my parents and shut down the mines.”  
  
“Lots to do today, hope you had breakfast!” Eugene grinned.  
  
“Breakfast? Hah, I haven’t even _slep_ t.” Varian admitted.  
  
“…We’re gonna grab you a muffin or five. And then, when we’re done, you’re taking a nap. A _long_ nap. All night.” Eugene pulled Varian to the door.  
  
“See you later, Quirin!” Rapunzel said as she followed them out, Ruddiger running by her to hop into Varian’s arms as he sat on Maximus with Eugene. Rapunzel walked over and climbed onto Fidella. “Right…off we go!”  
  
\--  
  
Varian didn’t see getting new clothes as a priority, but Rapunzel wouldn’t let him take no for an answer and soon he was in fancy clothes that definitely were more than he could afford, with a matching belt and backpack for his alchemy, new gloves, new boots and an apron that tied around his waist over the fancy shirt, vest and pants combo that felt much too stuffy for his liking. Against the tailor’s suggestion, he not only unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt but removed them _completely_ to let his neck breathe. The tailor grumbled and sealed up the button-holes, shooting him a dirty look as he worked.  
  
“There.” Rapunzel smiled. “ _Much_ better!”  
  
Varian looked at the fancy accessories and shrugged. “If you say so, Princess.” He adjusted his new goggles, then looked at his old ones thoughtfully before putting them in his bag.  
  
Rapunzel giggled and took his gloved hand in hers. “Come on, let’s shut down those mines now.”  
  
“Well, honestly I think fixing your parents will do that. Once they re- _remember_ everything, they’ll probably undo… _everything_.” Varian said awkwardly.  
  
“Okay, so how do we do that?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
Varian looked thoughtful. “I think there’s a po—”  
  
“A potion, right! But, we don’t have the…wait.” Rapunzel looked at him. “ _How_ did you and Clementine know that I’d know about the Wand of Oblivium?” She asked, recalling their knowing smirks before the reveal.  
  
“Uhm…because Clementine was there watching you the whole time, and just took the wand back when you left the wand and book on the ground.” Varian shrugged. “Was kind of a funny story, apparently you lost your memories of everything after you left the tower and Cassandra was having to _lie_ to you to get you to go back with her.”  
  
“Yeah…well, funny in retrospect and from a third-party… _not_ so funny to live it at the time. And it was…a lot of…bad stuff happened to make her do that to me.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “And…and then I lost her. Or…she _lost it_ , actually. She took the Moonstone.”  
  
“The Moonstone Opal? The Moonstone Opal that my father _swore_ to protect with the rest of the Brotherhood? _That_ Moonstone?” Varian asked, his eyes widening.  
  
She nodded. “It’s…a really long story. I’ll…I’ll show you my journal. That’ll…that’ll be quicker.”  
  
He nodded. “After we fix your parents, though. I don’t know the potion, but Clementine does. Let me talk to them.”  
  
“Not alone.” She said firmly.  
  
He smiled a bit and nodded and they headed off to the dungeon together.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel could see that Varian was looking apprehensive as they entered the dungeons again and she gently took his gloved hand and squeezed it. “It’s going to be okay.”  
  
He smiled a bit, but then looked forward. “Will it?”  
  
They stopped in front of the cell and he slipped his hand from hers. “…Hey.”  
  
“Ah, another visit. How nice.” Andrew remarked. “Got some new clothes, fancy.”  
  
Varian pursed his lips, then stepped forward. “Clementine, we need to undo everything. I _need_ to know where your potion book is.”  
  
“Aww, so you’ve finally decided to get into magic.” She said teasingly. “Finally accepting it exists, then?”  
  
“ _Why_ would we help you?” Juniper asked coldly.  
  
Varian groaned, holding his head. “Look, I _know_ I betrayed you, but you guys betrayed _me_ , first!” He said firmly, grabbing the bars of their cell. “And the _only_ way I can make sure that the King doesn’t have you _killed_ as soon as he realizes what you’ve done is if you have a part in helping him remember and undoing everything we’ve done to this Kingdom together!” He stepped back. “Thanks to Rapunzel coming back from her kidnapper’s tower, Corona has become a place where criminals can have second chances. We haven’t _killed_ anyone—”  
  
“That didn’t _deserve_ it.” Juniper remarked. “I mean, I _did_ wipe out all the guards in High-Security, but they were creeps that, honestly, the delicate princess shouldn’t hear about.”  
  
“ _Almost_ all of them, one wasn’t here.” Andrew reminded her.  
  
“Yes, that’s _true_ , but _none_ of us are beyond redemption! And the only way we can _get_ that redemption and _maybe_ start making steps towards achieving recompense for what they’ve _done_ to us, is if we help them _recover_ from what we’ve _done_!” Varian continued on.  
  
They exchanged doubtful looks.  
  
Varian sighed and stepped closer again. “Rapunzel is _home_ …we’re _not_ at Frederic’s mercy anymore. I’m going to tell her _everything_ he’s—”  
  
“ _Everything_?” Andrew asked calmly, and Varian tensed.  
  
“…Maybe… _not_ everything…” He glanced at Rapunzel. “But, she’ll know enough to _never_ let him do it again. Not unless he wants to lose her forever.”  
  
Rapunzel smiled and walked forward to stand next to him. “Trust me, I _will_ make sure that you get your second chances. Just help us undo everything.”  
  
They exchanged glances, and then moved towards the back, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Varian sighed, watching silently with his body tense. Rapunzel took his hand again, smiling comfortingly.  
  
Finally, they stepped away from each other and Andrew walked over to stand next to the door. “We’ll help you, but we want out of this damn cell, first.”  
  
Rapunzel tensed a bit, but nodded. “Alright. I hope you don’t mind if, uh, we arrange supervision, just until we know you’ve really changed?”  
  
“Fine, but no chains.” Andrew said calmly. “Otherwise, you’re going to find some other way to fix the King and Queen.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Deal. I’ll be back, I’m going to get Eugene and Lance.” She walked off, leaving Varian with the Saporians.  
  
Varian watched her go, then looked at Andrew. “…Thank you.”  
  
“Your logic is sound.” Andrew looked to the side. “I’m still _pissed_ , but I’ll get over it.”  
  
Varian nodded. “…She freed my dad.” He smiled. “He’s free now. And…I told him everything, but he doesn’t hate me.”  
  
“That’s great, kid.” Andrew nodded, a ghost of a smile on his face.  
  
Varian shifted his feet a bit. “…I was thinking…maybe you guys can stay with me and dad in Old Corona. We need to rebuild, anyway, you guys can help.”  
  
“We’ll think about it. We _do_ need somewhere to stay in Corona, and I doubt the castle is an option anymore.” Andrew nodded.  
  
Rapunzel came back with Eugene and Lance and then she walked over to grab the key, pausing before handing it Varian with an encouraging smile.  
  
Varian smiled and then unlocked the door, stepping back as it opened and letting them come out.  
  
“Alright.” Varian nodded. “Let’s get this potion made.”  
  
Clementine smiled. “We’re going to need my cauldron.”  
  
\--  
  
“Are you _sure_ we have everything we need?” Varian asked as he looked in the blue book with the Saporian symbol on the front. Rapunzel sat back on a stool to watch, while Andrew leaned against a table near her. The other Saporians were out with Lance and Eugene, stopping the mining work and letting everyone go free. “’Four leaves of a Rivellette plant, ground Cane-Flower petals, one storm swallow egg, three stems of gritwood’—are these even _real_?!” He turned pages and groaned. “How many…” he paused, counting, “ _way_ too many.”  
  
“Yes, we have what we need.” Clementine assured him with a cackle.  
  
“I sure hope so.” Varian sighed and looked over at Rapunzel. “You _drank_ this? _Some_ of these ingredients…”  
  
“Don’t question the magic potions, boy.” Clementine said as she set a fire under her cauldron. “Let’s begin.”  
  
Rapunzel looked at Andrew. “I actually haven’t read the book myself.” She admitted.  
  
Andrew chuckled.  
  
“Oh, _this_ can’t be safe to put in.” Varian said, shaking his head. “There’s alchemy, and then there’s… _this_.”  
  
Clementine laughed harder and took the book. “Let’s get to work, don’t think about it.”  
  
“I’m going to think about it.” Varian said as he reached up to tie his hair back. Rapunzel noticed that it’d gotten a bit longer in the year she was gone and decided it looked nice on him. “I’m going to be thinking about it the whole time.”  
  
“As long as you can think while you work.” Clementine said, chuckling.  
  
“Why _do_ we have everything we need?” He asked.  
  
“Because I thought we might need it, because you’re clumsy and Juniper loses her temper.” She said calmly.  
  
Andrew laughed as Varian blushed. “Oh.”  
  
\--  
  
Eugene and Lance stood outside the throne room nervously as Rapunzel, Varian and the Saporians met with the King and Queen. Varian held the potion tightly in his hands, feeling nervous, and Rapunzel smiled at him encouragingly as he stepped forward.  
  
“Your Majesties…” He sighed. “I’ve been _lying_ to you. I’m…I’m _not_ your advisor…I’m…I did something _terrible_. I was a _criminal_ that…” He looked at them. “There was no sea monster attack. It was all a lie. What really happened is that I broke out of prison and then me and my friends used magic to make you _forget_ about what I did.” He held out the potion. “But, this potion will undo everything. You’ll remember everything. And…I hope you can come to forgive me for…everything.”  
  
They looked confused but drank it when he poured it into goblets and then handed them over. They accepted them and he stepped back, Rapunzel’s hand moving to his shoulder comfortingly as he watched them drink it.  
  
At first, nothing happened. But then their eyes were filled with recognition, then distress in the Queen’s eyes and fury in the King’s. He rose from his throne to tower over Varian and Rapunzel moved between them, but Varian moved around her, looking up at the man with a calm expression.  
  
“I know, you’re angry. You probably want to kill me. But can you say that you are guiltless, Your Majesty? You lied to Rapunzel and took advantage of her distractions to hurt me when I was at my most vulnerable, all because I tried to help this kingdom and did what _you_ refused to do. I didn’t _ignore the problem_.” He stepped closer to him. “But, I’m going to try to make up for what I’ve done. Are _you_?”  
  
He glared down at him, a silent, unspoken well of secrets between them that Rapunzel couldn’t decipher, and then he sighed and sat back down. “Despite my… _personal_ feelings, the Kingdom comes first. And I cannot deny that _you_ are a part of my Kingdom and have… _done your time_.”  
  
Varian nodded. “This potion was made with the help of the Saporians. They want to make an effort towards peace and end the conflict and make amends. Do _you_?”  
  
King Frederic turned his gaze towards the gathered Saporians, then looked towards his wife, who was clearly still coming to terms with everything. She met his gaze, though, and then looked towards Rapunzel, who moved towards her and threw her arms around her tightly.  
  
“Please, dad.” Rapunzel looked at him pleadingly. “I…we shouldn’t be making enemies. Not when…there’s something _worse_ coming.”  
  
“Something worse?” Queen Arianna gently cupped her cheek. “What do you mean?”  
  
Rapunzel closed his eyes, her body trembling. “Cassandra took the Moonstone Opal from the Dark Kingdom.” She revealed, earning gasps from around the room. “It’s _changed_ her, and she’s lost her mind. She’s the daughter of Gothel, and she thinks _that_ gives her the right to take _everything_ that is _mine_ because of how overshadowed she was by my _very existence_.” She stood back and looked at her parents. “Cassandra is on her way, and we need _all_ the allies we can get. The Saporians are knowledgeable in both science _and_ magic.” She looked at Andrew with a shaky smile. “They can help us stop her.”  
  
“Cassandra…” King Frederic sighed. “I feared this would happen.”  
  
“You _knew_?” Rapunzel asked in disbelief.  
  
“ _Of_ _course_ , I knew. When the Captain brought her back with him, he told me that she was the daughter of your kidnapper, that she called out to her before she fled with you. But we took her in, and he raised her as his own. Cassandra completely forgot about her real mother, and the witch never came to find her, though the Captain was vigilant. But I feared what would happen, if ever she were to find out her _true_ heritage. And I was right.” King Frederic looked at Rapunzel. “You are correct, in saying that we need all the allies we can get. The Moonstone Opal is dangerous, and Cassandra is a danger all on her own, especially if she has completely lost her mind. We all know how dangerous the… _unstable_ can be.”  
  
Varian glanced away, pursing his lips. Andrew placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.  
  
“Therefore, I will allow them to…remain here, and allow them to indulge in your…second chances. However, _no_ other Saporians are to come here, at least not without a _full_ discussion on the matter. Is that _clear_?”  
  
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Andrew said, bowing his head.  
  
“If it would be alright, I thought that they could live in Old Corona with me and my newly-freed father.” Varian suggested.  
  
“Oh, you freed him! How wonderful!” Queen Arianna smiled brightly.  
  
“Fine.” King Frederic sighed. “If Quirin is alright with it, they may stay in Old Corona.”  
  
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” Varian bowed at the waist before straightening up.

“You’re dismissed.” He stood up and walked over to take Arianna’s hand, pulling her from her seat gently. “I…need to get properly reacquainted with my wife.”  
  
“We’ll leave you to it.” Andrew said, then turned to Rapunzel as the royal couple left the throne room together. “…Thank you, Rapunzel.”

She smiled and then hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Andrew, for choosing to try for a second chance.”  
  
He looked at his people. “I didn’t decide it alone.”  
  
Rapunzel let go of him and then gave them all hugs in turn before coming back and hugging Varian tightly. “Mmmm!”  
  
“The princess does hugs almost as tightly as you, Juniper.” Maisie said, rubbing at his arm.  
  
“Let’s start rebuilding!” Rapunzel said cheerfully. “Then we can start celebrating!”  
  
The doors opened and Eugene and Lance came in. “How’d it go?” Eugene asked.  
  
Rapunzel smiled and hugged him. “Let’s get to work! We’ve got a _lot_ to do!”  
  
Varian smiled, but then looked to the side, frowning a bit as he looked towards the door, his gaze distant as he thought about Cassandra. Andrew placed his hand on his shoulder and he smiled before they headed out together with Rapunzel leading the way.  
  
\--  
  
With Varian and the Saporians involved, reconstruction was made easier with different inventions and skills. While the townsfolk steered as far away from them as they could, Rapunzel, Eugene and Lance helped them as they worked together to fix up damage done from the initial takeover and any battles and finally the damage caused by the airship crashing through the city while the Quirineon took a while to heat up enough to lift them into the air.  
  
“I don’t need to be lifted, I can just use a ladder.” Varian insisted as he was lifted onto Andrew’s shoulder for something.  
  
“But this is more _fun_.” Andrew teased him.  
  
“For who?” Varian asked as he held the sign in place. Rapunzel handed up a nail and he put it in place before hammering it in.  
  
“For me.” Andrew chuckled.  
  
Varian rolled his eyes and focused on his work.  
  
Eugene walked over and grinned. “Looking good! Blondie, we have a painting project we need your help with; what do you say we swap places and I’ll help them while you go have fun?”  
  
“Painting? Yes!” She kissed him and then ran off to do that with an excited squeal.  
  
Eugene smiled at her as she went. “…Hey, thanks.”  
  
“Hm?” Andrew watched as Varian worked. “Nail.”  
  
Eugene handed one over and Andrew passed it up. “She’s been needing some good news. The past few months were…so hard. It wasn’t an easy trip. And then, how it ended…she was so hurt, but so…so _angry_.” He looked up at Varian. “On that note, kid, you can read that scroll, right?”  
  
“Scroll?” Varian asked, then lowered his hammer. “I think that’ll do it. You can put me down now.”  
  
“Nah, I’ll just carry you to the next place.” Andrew stepped back from the wall.  
  
“Andrew!” Varian protested, earning a laugh from the Saporian man.  
  
Eugene followed them. “Uh, yeah. You know the scroll that had the thing about the flower? It was only one part of a whole thing. We put it all together, and it’s…it’s big. It’s called the Demanitus scroll.”  
  
“Demanitus?” They both looked at him.  
  
“Yeah, should’ve _figured_ that’d get your attention.” Eugene nodded. “I guess we’ll talk about it when we’re done here.”  
  
Varian nodded. “Okay.”  
  
“Whoa!” Lance exclaimed. “How did you lift _that_?!”  
  
“Uh, with my arms?” Juniper asked, as if it was obvious.  
  
They looked over to see her lifting a huge piece of rubble that had fallen to the ground. “Yeah, but usually we need special equipment for that!” Lance explained.  
  
“Yeah, but I’m _awesome_ , so…” Juniper put it on a cart full of other rubble.  
  
“Yes, you are.” Lance said in awe.  
  
Eugene laughed.  
  
“Yeah, my sister’s a monster.” Andrew said with a smile.  
  
Varian chuckled.  
  
Eugene paused. “…Sister?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Redemption is a long road, but you need to take that first step to start on it.


	6. Adjusting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With reconstruction of the Capital finished, it's time to focus on the future battle!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

It had been a month now since reconstruction started, and finally they were done. Rapunzel picked up some flowers from a decoration that been placed around her crown and put them in her hair with a smile as she looked around at the newly-rebuilt throne room. Finally, she was truly home.  
  
“Well, we’ve still got trouble on the horizon, but let’s try not to let that bug us, huh, Pascal?” She smiled at him sitting on her shoulder. “Let’s go enjoy the festival today!” She headed through the doors and smiled at the people gathered.  
  
“ _We’ve done a lot, faced who knows what,”_ she smiled at Eugene, who winked at her, “ _still, though, we’re not quite through yet._ ”  
  
She went outside with Eugene, arm in arm. “ _We have so much to do yet._ ” She let go of his arm and jumped onto a bannister, looking around her. “ _More than a thing or two yet._ ” She slid down the railing, “ _There’s wounds we must heal, plans to make real,”_ she hopped off the railing and landed in Eugene’s waiting arms before he set her down. “ _Watch us and we’ll do wonders._ ” She grabbed his arm and pulled him along into the festival.  
  
They stopped in front of a statue that was being revealed of Eugene and herself, and Eugene made it clear that he didn’t agree with the tiny cactus used to make his nose. “ _Sure, we might make some blunders,_ ” Rapunzel looked towards Old Corona, thinking of her own mistakes, “ _we’ll face them all head-on!_ ” She headed off into the crowd, smiling up at the floats of Maximus and Pascal as she passed under them.  
  
“ _We’ll rise hand-in-hand, and rebuild this land; we’re ready to stand and roar!_ ” She took Eugene’s hands and they danced under the floats for a bit until they were no longer under them anymore. “ _Will we give up? No! Never!”_  
  
She pulled away from him and threw up a fist. “ _We’re stronger than ever before!_ ”  
  
Eugene laughed as he and Lance came over to her and they danced again. “ _We’ve made mistakes._ ” He agreed, then let go of her so she could be caught by Lance.  
  
“ _Had some bad breaks._ ” Lance added, before she moved away and the two guys danced together as they finished, “ _That only makes us tougher!_ ” in unison.  
  
“ _Now, when the road gets rougher,_ ” Lance said as they walked arm-in-arm with Rapunzel between them.  
  
“ _Frankly, we’ll barely suffer._ ” Eugene grinned.  
  
“ _’Cause, though we’ve been burned,_ ” Rapunzel noticed something and smiled, letting go of them and running forward to throw her arms around Andrew’s shoulders, who was sitting with Varian, his father and the other Saporians off to the side, “ _what have we learned?_ ”  
  
“ _Victory is earned, not given!_ ” Eugene and Lance chimed in as Andrew lightly nudged her off with an amused smile. She let go of him and hugged Varian before she grinned and headed off again.  
  
“ _We shape the world we live in._ ” Rapunzel said as she grabbed some chalk and joined in with making a mural on the ground. “ _We’re what we’ll build upon!_ ” She finished, Eugene and Lance joining in.  
  
“ _The war may be won but, still, we’re not done, we’ve only begun to soar_!” They sang, standing on a cart dramatically before they laughed and moved on.  
  
“ _Bolder_ ,” Rapunzel started.  
  
“ _And far more clever,_ ” Eugene spun her around and threw her into the air before she landed in Lance’s arms and they moved on again, circling back to the town square.  
  
“ _And stronger than ever before_!” They sang in unison.  
  
“ _There’s miles left to go,”_ A man sang as they joined in the dancing.  
  
“ _How far, we don’t know._ ” A woman added.  
  
“ _But we can do so much more!_ ” Several townsfolk sang as little girls set off more lanterns into the sky.  
  
Rapunzel used her hair to swing up onto a building and pointed to the horizon. “ _Onto the next endeavor!_ ” She declared.  
  
“ _We’re stronger than ever!_ ” The Coronans all sang.  
  
“ _I’ll never say never.”_ Rapunzel smiled down at them.  
  
“ _We’re stronger than ever before!_ ” They all sang, throwing their fists up in excitement.  
_  
_ \--  
  
Rapunzel sat next to Varian as he quietly read her journal, learning everything that had happened. It was late at night, but she’d asked to talk to him after the festival was over and so, after sharing a dinner with his father and the Saporians, Varian had come up to Rapunzel’s room to talk.  
  
“There’s just…so _much_.” He said softly. “How can you be so _strong_ , to endure…all _this_?”  
  
“Will you ever tell me about…what _you_ went through?” Rapunzel asked softly.  
  
“I don’t think your pure, gentle heart could handle it.” He smiled sadly at her before turning the page. “I don’t understand. You seem _so close,_ how could she…”  
  
“I know.” Rapunzel nodded. “I don’t understand it, either. It doesn’t make any _sense_. I’m just…I’m looking through this, trying to find any _hint_ , any _sign_ of what she said, that it was all a _lie_ , but I can’t…I can’t find _anything._ Was she just _that good_ , or…am I just…that naïve?”  
  
“Maybe both.” Varian shrugged. “I mean, speaking as someone that tricked you before, you are _painfully_ gullible.”  
  
“Hey!” She shoved him and he laughed a bit, prompted her to laugh with him.  
  
“Heeeey, who wants cupcakes?” Eugene came into the room.  
  
“Eugene!” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
He came over and handed them both a cupcake. “Here you go, kid.” He kissed Rapunzel’s cheek. “Everything okay?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I’m…not sure. I just…it’s so…I’m still in shock, I think. I’ve been so distracted with…everything, but it’s finally really setting in. She’s gone. She’s… _really_ gone. And I don’t know how to get her back.” She sniffled, a tear slipping down her cheek.  
  
Varian set his cupcake down and hugged her and she returned the hug, Eugene helpfully taking the cupcake so it didn’t get in Varian’s hair and setting it aside before he joined the hug.  
  
Varian waited until they were done and then he cleared his throat. “So…Eugene mentioned a scroll today?”  
  
Rapunzel smiled. “Yes, actually, _that’s_ what I really need your help with.” She got up and went to get it out of her bag, bringing it to him. “You can read this, right?”  
  
Varian took the scroll and unfurled it, his eyes widening as he looked at all of it. “…Whoa. Okay…I’m gonna need my notes…and some time to myself. No distractions.”  
  
Rapunzel chuckled. “Okay, how long do you need?”  
  
“Uh, not sure.” He admitted. “It’s been a year, I need to look over my notes and then sit down and figure out a proper translation key and—I have a lot of work to do.”  
  
“So, you’ll do it?” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
“Sure.” He nodded. “Uhm, starting tomorrow. Bit late to start now. Uhm, I…don’t know if I can just use the room I’ve using been for the past few months, or…”  
  
“You can.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Alright, good.” Varian took his backpack off and put the scroll in. “Good. Then, uhm…I’ll sleep here tonight, then…head out tomorrow to get back to my lab.”  
  
“I’ll take you.” Eugene smiled. “It’ll be quicker.”  
  
“Yeah.” Varian nodded. “Okay.”  
  
“Do you want to go to bed now, or…?” Rapunzel offered him his cupcake again.  
  
He took it and then continued reading the journal. Rapunzel smiled and bit into her own, watching as he silently read.  
  
“So…” He paused, looking up at her, “am I ever going to get to meet Aunt Adira?”  
  
“’Aunt Adira’?” They asked in unison.  
  
“Well, she’s like a sister to my dad, right? So, she’s my aunt.” Varian shrugged. “Logic.”  
  
“Uhm…you know, I don’t know. But, I’m _sure_ that she’d be happy to meet you.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Uncle Hector, too.” He said, looking back at the book.  
  
“…Oh, wow. _That_ guy is an ‘uncle’.” Eugene looked at Rapunzel.  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “Apparently!”  
  
Ruddiger climbed up onto the bed and Varian reached out a hand absently, stroking his fur as he continued reading.  
  
Rapunzel smiled a bit, then looked towards the window with a sigh before she got up and went sit on her balcony railing, looking out towards the horizon. Eugene looked at Varian, then got up and walked over to sit with her. “…Sunshine?”  
  
“I thought…she would _always_ be here.” Rapunzel said, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I just can’t believe she’s left us…left _me_ …and the next time I see her, she’s going to be trying to take my Kingdom, my _parents_ , from me.”  
  
“Well, hey, at least we know how to fix it if she uses the wand on them.” Eugene assured her, wrapping his arm around her. “C’mon, we got this. We’ve got ourselves, and we’ve got Varian and the Saporians to help. And the King and Queen have been alerted, so we just need to keep an eye out for her.”  
  
“But, she’s got the Moonstone Opal. You know as well as _I_ do that that thing is…so _powerful_.” Rapunzel looked at him.  
  
“Hey, hey.” He held her closer. “It’s gonna be okay.”  
  
Varian looked up at them as he closed the journal, then picked up his backpack before walking over to sit on the railing with them. “I don’t think she’s completely gone. Maybe…she just needs someone to talk to her. Someone that… _understands_ what she’s going through. The darkness can be really tempting, I know. It’s hard to climb out once you’ve fallen into it, and I don’t think that…that _thing_ is helping.” He looked towards the horizon. “Supposedly it’s sentient, right? That’s what my dad said. So, with her being upset about what happened at the Great Tree, and then finding out about her mom? And then the Moonstone is probably whispering… _things_ into her mind.” He stood up. “Maybe, if she shows up, I can get through to her.”  
  
“Varian, don’t be doing anything dangerous.” Eugene frowned.  
  
“I’m not going to seek her out! I just think that, if _anyone_ can convince her to come back to the light, it’s me.” He looked at his hands. “She’s lost in the darkness, like _I_ was. Her grief and rage is blinding her, and she doesn’t know what to do but lash out. Maybe, all she needs is someone to _talk_ to her, someone that isn’t connected to the _reason_ for her anger.”  
  
They exchanged worried looks and Eugene sighed. “Kid…” He got up and walked over to look at him, taking his hands in his. “I know you think that you can get through to her…but she’s…different from you. She’s actually _insane_. You were just…upset.”  
  
“’Upset’? I lost my _mind_ , Eugene! I gave up eating, sleeping, I grew _obsessed_ , and then I got _violent_!” Varian pulled his hands away. “I don’t think Cassandra’s lost her mind; I think she’s being manipulated! Your latest journal entry about her mentions her seeing a vision in some creepy house! Doesn’t that just seem like she’s being manipulated by some unseen force?!”  
  
Eugene smiled. “Kid, the only ’unseen force’ manipulating her is her own _mind_. Trust me, you wouldn’t be able to stop her if you talked to her and, frankly, I don’t think it’d be safe for you to. Just, uh…focus on the scroll, okay? It’ll help us stop her.”  
  
Varian gripped the straps of his backpack. “It will?”  
  
“We think so. We…don’t actually know what it says.” Rapunzel admitted.  
  
Varian smiled a bit. “Well…I’m gonna go to bed, then.”  
  
“Want me to walk you there?” Eugene asked. “I mean, things are still…tense.”  
  
“Yeah.” Varian nodded. “That’d be great.”  
  
“Great.” Eugene nodded and walked with him to the door. “See you tomorrow, Blondie.”  
  
She waved with a smile. “Sleep well, both of you!”  
  
\--  
  
Eugene walked with Varian through the darkened halls of the castle, passing by guards on patrol. Varian kept close to him, his head bowed in silent shame as Ruddiger followed at his heels. Even with their reconstruction efforts, Eugene knew that things had been rough for the kid ever since they undid all their hard work to restore Corona back to normal. It was probably Rapunzel alone that kept people from lynching him in the street.  
  
“You holding up?” He asked softly. “You seemed okay at the festival.”  
  
“We kept to ourselves for it, no one really noticed us.” Varian admitted. “No one but you guys. Plus, dad gave everyone looks of death if they got too close with hostile intent.”  
  
Eugene chuckled. “Ah, speaking of dad, I _did_ mention I was a prince, right?”  
  
“Yeah, you mentioned that. Still trying to picture you in the role. I’m having trouble with it.”  
  
“Yeah, imagine how _I_ feel.” Eugene nodded.  
  
They walked on a bit in silence, and then Eugene looked at him. “…I know that you don’t want to tell Rapunzel, but I’ve seen a lot of stuff in my life. What _happened_ to you during that year?”  
  
Varian sighed. “Physical and psychological torture. Andrew got something else on top of it, which was intended for _me_ as well, but he arranged for _him_ to just take on what I was gonna get. Plus, I got private one-on-ones with the King, whoop-dee-doo.”  
  
“What happened in _those_?” Eugene asked.  
  
“…He made me an offer. Always the same one. Better living conditions…in exchange for being his secret alchemist. I’d still be locked underground, but I wouldn’t be tortured and beaten anymore. And I would have no control over what he did with my alchemy, and no chance of refusal.”  
  
Eugene sighed and nodded. “Yeah, that…better Rapunzel not know about any of that. I never knew Frederic would be the type to…you know, _enslave_ someone.”  
  
“Oh well, I mean, _I’m_ not surprised. He was kind of a _dick_ to me, especially. Even before I did a single crime.” Varian looked to the side, his expression distant. “Those months of isolation…living in fear of the men…growing more and more desperate for answers…for freedom…for salvation that never came. For friends to actually show they _cared_ about me…”  
  
Eugene sighed. “…I admit, we weren’t really that close before. And when I came back from saving the King and Queen during the storm and heard that you’d shown up and tried to drag Rapunzel out into the blizzard with you, causing her pain as she resisted you, I believed it. I still don’t know what really happened that night, but I already knew you had the potential to be highly dangerous, and to act rashly.”  
  
“I guess I deserve that.” Varian mumbled.  
  
“But, the truth is, I _should’ve_ been trying to actually connect with you. You _clearly_ wanted – needed – a friend, and…I must’ve been such a _letdown_. You had Flynn Rider books, you had my _poster_ , you were _so excited to meet me_ , and I didn’t see you as anything but this…over-excited threat to my girlfriend’s life. And I’m sorry. I…was a bad member of ‘Team Awesome’.” He smiled at him. “But, we can do better now.”  
  
“Yeah?” Varian smiled up at him hopefully.  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene wrapped his arm around his shoulders. “I’ll probably never be as close to you as you and Andrew seem to be, ‘cause I _know_ how strong a brotherly bond born in a time of shared strife can be, but I can _at least_ try to be a friend you can rely on.”  
  
Varian smiled brightly. “That’d be great.”  
  
Eugene smiled and squeezed his shoulder before they walked on, his hand slipping from his shoulders as he walked.  
  
“So…you good? You and your dad, I mean? I mean…things were kind of…uhm…” Eugene sighed.  
  
“We’re fine. No more secrets.” Varian nodded.  
  
“What are _you_ doing here?”  
  
Varian tensed and hid behind Eugene as Ruddiger let out a hiss. Eugene winced and looked ahead of them. “Speaking of dads…uh, hey, Your Majesty. Rapunzel needed to talk to Varian and it got real late, so we’re letting him use a room here before I take him home in the morning.” He said as the man approached them.  
  
“I don’t want that _boy_ wondering loose around the castle. I may have accepted that you’re not going back to prison, but that doesn’t mean you’re forgiven, Varian.” King Frederic said coldly.  
  
Varian stepped into view, looking up at him. “And neither are _you_ , but only _one_ of us actually got punished for their crimes against the Kingdom. Good night, Your Majesty.”  
  
Eugene cringed as he quickly steered Varian away. “Good night, Your Majesty! Varian, please, don’t _antagonize_ him.”  
  
“I knew that this would be our daily routine when I gave him back his memories.” Varian said, looking over his shoulder as he was led around a corner. “He knows what he did. _You_ know what he did.”  
  
Eugene sighed. “I don’t know the _full_ extent, but I know enough, yes. Still, you need to play it cool, okay? For Rapunzel’s sake?”  
  
He pursed his lips. “…Okay.”  
  
Eugene smiled. “Okay.”  
  
“We’ll try to be _civil_ around Rapunzel.” Varian pulled away from him and walked over to open the door to his bedroom. “Good night, Eugene.” He closed the door behind him.  
  
Eugene groaned. “…Good night, kid.” He turned away from the door, running his hands over his face. “Ugh, why can’t things be simple? Why did two people important to Rapunzel have to have such bad blood between them?” He walked away from the door, then paused and walked over to listen closely.  
  
“I’m okay, Ruddiger, really. I’m fine. He…he didn’t _hurt_ me, this time. Eugene was with me, after all.” Varian said softly. “I’ll be fine. It’s better now. It’s better. Rapunzel’s home. I’m safe.”  
  
Eugene stepped away from the door and looked down the hall, silently cursing the man that made a child feel this way, just because he wanted to help, and to _get_ help. He was tempted to stay the night in his room, just to make sure he was safe. He looked back at the door and then walked closer, knocking on the door. “Varian?”  
  
“Yes?”  
  
Eugene opened the door a bit. “…Do you want me to stay the night?”  
  
Varian looked up at him in the middle of removing his belt. “I…” He looked to the window in front of him, then at the floor, then looked back at him. “…Yes.”  
  
Eugene nodded and smiled. “Let me go get my jammies, then I’ll be back. Okay? Keep the door locked until I get back. Don’t open the door to anyone else.”  
  
He closed the door and headed off, coming back as quickly as he could. He knocked on the door and cleared his throat. “Varian?”  
  
“Eugene?”  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded. “I’m back.”  
  
He heard footsteps and then the door was unlocked and opened for him. Eugene smiled at him and stepped in, locking the door behind him. “I get it.” He set his clothes on a desk in the room. “I felt nervous my first few weeks here. I mean, I was an _outlaw surrounded by guards_. I couldn’t _sleep_ for the first few nights. So, y’know, I get feeling unsafe here.” He smiled and unfastened his vest.  
  
Varian walked over and faced the window instead of him as Eugene got changed for bed. “Even when I was in control…I didn’t feel safe. Not really. And even at home, now, I don’t feel safe sleeping alone. The assassination attempts were still…they…they were only a few months ago, before months where I had control, when I could order anyone to the stocks or the mines for attempting to kill me. And I can’t do that anymore. I’m powerless, _vulnerable_ …prey.”  
  
He wrapped his arms around himself, looking so small and helpless in the moonlight. “And Frederic will _never_ know what it’s like to feel this way.”  
  
Eugene sighed softly and nodded.  
  
He finished getting dressed for bed and then they both climbed into bed, Varian burying his face in Eugene’s chest. If he hadn’t seen him and Andrew together, he might be concerned about Varian feeling so comfortable with sharing a bed with a grown man, but he guessed that they had just started sleeping in the same bed for comfort, protection and extra warmth.  
  
He silently thanked Andrew for protecting Varian from the true horrors of prison and held him closer to him, gently stroking his hair soothingly as he drifted off, Ruddiger climbing onto the pillows with them and curling up to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian's got some issues he needs to work through.


	7. Father

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When King Edmund comes to Corona, he wants nothing more than to connect with his son. Eugene wants nothing more than to avoid his long-lost father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Elsewhere, in the midst of a storm, two figures approached a building called the “Glass Sipper”, a tavern full of the cruelest of ruffians. They opened the door and entered the building, taking a seat at the bar.  
  
“Say, ain’t you the _Stabbingtons_?” The bartender asked with amusement. The brothers tensed, knowing what his tone implied. “I can’t believe these two _losers_ have the guts to show their _faces_ in a place like this!” He gestured to them and walked past them laughing. “ _Look_ at these dunderheads! Back from being beat by Flynn—Oh, _sorry_ , _Eugene Fitzherber_ , _again_!” He bust up laughing and others joined in.  
  
“Hey, bud, don’t give him a hard time.” One of the other patrons said. “Eugene had a lot of _help_ from that _Princess_ and her _pet frog._ ” He laughed and the others all joined in again.  
  
Eyepatch grabbed the mug in front of him and crushed it in his large hard silently, cutting off the laughter and making the bartender recoil quickly.  
  
“No one’s _ever_ gonna take us seriously…” Sideburns pulled out his knife and threw it at a poster of Flynn Rider, forcing a patron to duck to avoid being hit by it, “as long as _that_ maggot is _alive_.”  
  
They exchanged dark looks and then he walked over to grab the knife before they headed out, the poster dropping to the ground as they left.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel walked up to a sign Feldspar was leaning on. “Oh, I would tilt it _this_ way, Feldspar, so it's visible to the afternoon traffic.”  
  
He smiled gratefully at her. She smiled, relieved to see his black eye was gone.  
  
“Princess Rapunzel!” A girl ran over as Rapunzel picked up a ball that bounced over.  
  
“Keep your eye on the ball. And watch that follow-through.” She said cheerfully, handing it to her before she ran off with it, then she moved on to a jewelry store. “Your plans are approved!” She held out a scroll to the owner. “Build that haberdashery!”  
  
“Woohoo!” The man cheered.  
  
“Live the dream!” She danced away from his stall and approached a horse. “Oat delivery tonight.” She cooed, rubbing under his chin.  
  
“Wow, Rapunzel, you’re just going nuts with the whole Princess duties.” Eugene said as he came over to her with Varian and Maximus, the white horse stopping next to Fidella, who Rapunzel had ridden here, and they got down to join her.  
  
“You guys on the way to Old Corona?” Rapunzel turned to them.  
  
“Yeah.” Varian nodded. “Gotta get started on that scroll, right?”  
  
“Well, don’t _push_ yourself on that, okay? Your health comes first.” She smiled and cupped his cheek, then kissed Eugene’s cheek. “Safe travels.”  
  
“I dunno, I’m tempted to hang back a bit and make sure you’re not overworking yourself.” Eugene said with amusement.  
  
“Practice what you preach, Princess.” Varian nodded.  
  
“Oh, hush. I’m fine.” Rapunzel assured him “Got a full eight hours of sleep last night, I am raring to go! I’ve been up since 6am!”   
  
“As always.” Eugene nodded.  
  
Varian counted on his hands. “Wait, you were still up at ten-o-clock?”  
  
“Which is perfectly fine, Mr. Haven’t-slept-in-two-days.” She raised an eyebrow.  
  
“I haven’t been up two—” He looked at Ruddiger, who was chattering at him on his shoulders. “Yes, but that was—ugh, fine. Yes, I _have_ been up two days before.”  
  
“Can you actually understand him?” Eugene asked.  
  
“I get the basic idea from his body language.” Varian shrugged. “But I’m trying to figure out how to teach him to communicate with sign language or something, the charades can get confusing, especially when I’m tired.”  
  
“You _slept_ last night, right?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
Eugene nodded. “Made sure he did.”  
  
“Good.” Rapunzel smiled. “Well, I’ve kept you long enough. Safe travels!”  
  
A horse attached to a cart full of hay suddenly got spooked by a rat and took off. Rapunzel leaped onto Fidella and they rode off after it, with Eugene keeping Varian on in front of him after they both got back onto Maximus.  
  
The cart rushed through town with them hot on its trail and people scattered to avoid being hit by the cart.   
  
“Eugene, look! A dead end!” Rapunzel pointed out.  
  
“She’s got nowhere to go now!” Eugene agreed.  
  
“Is this normal, chasing wayward carts? Isn’t this the Royal Guard’s job?” Varian asked.  
  
“Why wait for the Guard when we’re right here?” Rapunzel asked cheerfully as they chased it into the alleyway.  
  
“Is this a new alley?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Yeah, it was part of the reconstruction when the buildings were repaired.” Varian confirmed.  
  
Pascal hopped onto the cart and Rapunzel jumped off Fidella to join him, making her way to the terrified horse.  
  
“Take the reins.” Eugene said, handing the reins to Varian and standing up behind him.  
  
“Okay, that’s officially crazy.” Varian said, holding on the reins and moving them to the side of the cart. Eugene jumped off of Maximus to join Rapunzel on the cart. “You’re both _crazy_!”  
  
“Coming from _you_?” Eugene asked jokingly, then looked at Rapunzel.  
  
“I need to get up close and settle her down.” Rapunzel said to him. “Before someone gets—” She gasped as she nearly fell off when the cart hit something.  
  
“You okay?” Varian asked as Eugene caught Rapunzel just in time.  
  
“Hurt. I’m fine, Varian.” She assured him as Eugene pulled her up. “Thanks.” She smiled up at him and then looked at the horse ahead of them.  
  
They heard a whistle blowing and Rapunzel looked forward. “Oh, duck crossing!”  
  
Varian pulled back on Maximus’ reins as Rapunzel jumped onto the terrified horse’s back and grabbed the reins, steering the cart the other way as Maximus followed behind them.   
  
“Whoa!” Eugene cried out as he got knocked off the top.  
  
“Eugene!” Rapunzel cried, quickly untying her hair to try to use it as a lasso, latching it around a stall. Eugene bounced off her hair, then a bale of hay and then hit the ground and both Rapunzel and Varian winced in reaction.  
  
“Nice save, but she’s _really_ gotta work on that landing.” Eugene groaned on the ground.  
  
He looked up and saw a black and white horse looking at him with amusement, and on his back was…  
  
“Oh, hello, son.” King Edmund greeted with an amused smile, his ever-faithful crow, Hamuel, on his shoulder.  
  
“Edmund?” Eugene asked, as if unsure he was seeing things properly.  
  
“Eugene!” Rapunzel and Varian came over with Maximus and Fidella, the horse and cart taken by someone else. “Are you alright?” Rapunzel asked, getting down to kneel next to him.  
  
“Hello, Rapunzel.” King Edmund smiled at her, then looked at Varian. “And someone new.” He looked to the side. “An unusual hair-color, and just a single stripe of it. Maybe a fashion statement?”  
  
“Edmund, you’re thinking out loud again…” Eugene sighed. “This is Varian. He’s, uh, Quirin’s son. Varian, meet King Edmund. My…dad. I guess.”   
  
“Quirin has a _son_?” King Edmund looked surprised.  
  
“Why don’t we get a drink together?” Rapunzel suggested. “There’s a café near here.”  
  
“Sounds wonderful!” King Edmund smiled.  
  
\--  
  
They all found a place to sit and talk with drinks. Varian looked at the crow curiously and Ruddiger chittered warily on his shoulders.  
  
“So…what _are_ you doing here?” Eugene asked.  
  
Hamuel let out a caw and King Edmund looked at him. “No, Hamuel, let me tell him.” He then looked back at Eugene. “After our rather… _unfortunate_ run-in with the family recently, I wanted to ensure you got…this.” He pulled out a box and passed it to Eugene. “It’s a priceless heirloom that has been passed down for generations.”  
  
Eugene opened it and Rapunzel gasped. “Pretty!”  
  
Varian looked at it curiously. “It’s the Brotherhood emblem.” He recognized.  
  
“It’s our family sash.” King Edmund explained.  
  
“Oh, _fantastic_!” Eugene said sarcastically. “That’s fantastic, this’ll go _so_ _great_ with my chainmail dinner jacket, so, thanks for stopping by and making everything _awkward_ , as usual. Bye, now.”  
  
Rapunzel frowned and Varian looked at him before looking at King Edmund. “Since you’re in the area, why don’t you come and visit my father? Eugene and I were just on our way there.”  
  
“No, no, no, Varian, we don’t invite the crazy man into our house.” Eugene said under his breath.  
  
“Oh, I…I wouldn’t want to be a _bother_ …to anyone.” King Edmund said, getting up. “Although, I really _do_ appreciate the invitation, and was kind of hoping they’d ask me to stay.” He said to himself, or maybe the bird on his shoulder.  
  
“Perfect! You get some more time here in Corona, with Eugene, and I get to learn more about my father’s past that he’s been hiding from me!” Varian said cheerfully.  
  
“Yay!” Rapunzel cheered.  
  
Eugene shot Varian a dirty look.  
  
“That is, if you still want to _escort_ me, Eugene. I mean, I _could_ just go with King Edmund, he seems like a _nice guy_ that I can _trust_ , even though I’ve _just met him_.” Varian said, getting up.  
  
“Ugh, fine, we’re going!” Eugene got up. “See you later, Blondie.” He kissed her and walked over to Varian as he climbed up onto Maximus. “You are _sneaky_ , do you know that?”  
  
“One of my best traits.” Varian said as Eugene climbed on behind him.  
  
“Have fun!” Rapunzel waved cheerfully as they rode off together once King Edmund got back on his horse.  
  
\--  
  
“So, how long has Quirin had a son?” King Edmund asked as they rode through the woods.  
  
“I’m sixteen years old, Your Majesty. I’ll be seventeen this year.” Varian replied.  
  
“Ohhh. When did he get married? I haven’t talked to him in…decades.” Edmund looked thoughtful. “Perhaps, I should’ve made some form of an effort to keep in contact…”  
  
Hamuel cawed.  
  
“Oh, this is Hamuel, by the way.” King Edmund introduced.  
  
“This is Ruddiger.” Varian stroked his pet’s fur.  
  
“Pleasure!” King Edmund smiled.  
  
Eugene groaned. “Varian, can you _please_ stop talking to him?” He asked quietly.  
  
“Come on, Eugene, what’s the big deal? He’s a part of my father’s past, his _King_ , don’t I have a right to know him beyond just pages in a journal?” Varian replied just as quietly.  
  
Eugene sighed. “…Fine.”  
  
They entered Old Corona and Varian waved to the Saporians working on rebuilding the place before they got off their horses at the manor. Varian went to the door and opened it, smiling brightly at the man. “Come on in, Your Majesty!”  
  
“I _know_ you’re not talking to Frederic.” His father said, coming to the door. “Did you get Queen Arianna to vi…” He trailed off, staring at King Edmund with wide eyes. “Y-Your Majesty.” He bowed on one knee.  
  
King Edmund smiled. “Quirin.” He walked over and knelt down, cupping his face in his hand. “Look at you, you haven’t changed. Well, aside from, apparently, becoming a father! And to think our sons are friends, isn’t that great!” He said cheerfully.  
  
Quirin looked up at him. “Your Majesty?”  
  
“My son has been here in Corona.” King Edmund smiled at Eugene.  
  
Quirin stood up. “Please, come in, all of you. Uhm, Varian, why don’t you get the…the cups.”  
  
“I’ll go get drinks ready.” Varian assured him, heading for the kitchen.  
  
King Edmund walked in when Quirin stepped aside and Eugene hung back, looking at the door with disbelief, before he followed him in.  
  
Quirin and King Edmund had sat down and Varian was bringing over drinks out of the kitchen. “I hope you’re alright with juice, Your Majesty.” He said, setting down cups on the table.  
  
“This is fine, thank you.” King Edmund smiled, picking up his cup and taking a sip. “Mmm.”  
  
Eugene walked over and sighed, sitting down and grabbing his cup to drink. “So...I brought you home safely, so…yeah.”  
  
“Are you planning to rush off so soon?” King Edmund asked.  
  
“Yeah, ah, I was only planning to come here to drop off Varian, and then Rapunzel and I had some plans later today. So, you guys catch up and, I guess, get to know each other, I’m going back to the castle.” He finished off his drink in one swig, then got up again.  
  
“Oh, alright…” Varian looked a bit disheartened.   
  
Eugene felt a bit guilty and sighed, walking over and placing his hand on his shoulder. “I’ll come by tomorrow and check in on you guys, okay? But, I really _do_ have other plans today.”  
  
“Okay.” Varian nodded. “See you tomorrow, then!” He smiled brightly.  
  
Eugene nodded, then headed for the door. “See you later.” He opened it and walked out, closing it behind him with a sigh before he went to climb onto Maximus, heading back through town to get to the woods.  
  
“Eugene!”  
  
He looked up and see Andrew waving to him from on top of the roof of one of the damaged houses. He shrugged and steered Maximus over, trotting up to him. “Hey, Andrew. How’s it going?”  
  
“Well enough.” Andrew leaned on the chimney. “Reconstruction is going well, but those rocks did some serious damage. Who was that man you were with earlier?”  
  
“Eugh.” Eugene made a face. “I guess I got some time. Come on down and we’ll talk a bit.”  
  
“Alright, hold on.” Andrew got up and then ran to the edge, jumping off. Eugene let out a sharp gasp, but wind picked up around Andrew and safely set him on the ground in a light funnel before it left. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Wind magic.”  
  
“Magic. Right. Saporians use magic.” Eugene nodded. “Why didn’t you use that in prison?”  
  
“Because the _last_ thing we want is for our captors to know that we are _capable_ of things like that. Besides, I don’t have any attack spells, just…stuff like that. Defensive stuff, or transportation.” He made a vague gesture, then opened the door to the house he was on. “Come on in.”  
  
Eugene got off of Maximus and followed him in, sitting down at a newly-repaired table. “Where’s your, uhm, sister?”  
  
“She’s around.” He made a vague gesture. “Think she said something about going to the Sundrop monument earlier. She can take care of herself, unlike me, so I’m not worried.”  
  
Eugene chuckled. “Yeah, I bet. So, uh…” He sighed. “That guy was…my dad. I met him while we were on our trip, he’s the…uhm…King of the Dark Kingdom, sent me away when I was a baby. Kind of bitter about it.”  
  
“You’re a _prince_?” Andrew raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Yeah, I know. It’s weird. Kind of shocking. Definitely still adjusting to the idea of not only no longer being an _orphan_ , but also being _royalty_.” He shook his head. “But, y’know, I’m still the same guy. Suddenly being royalty doesn’t change anything.”  
  
“Of course, it doesn’t.” Andrew shrugged. “Who you are isn’t dependent on your royal status, otherwise Juniper would be just like Rapunzel. Which is a weird image I just put in my head, yikes.”  
  
“Heh, yeah.” He paused. “Wait…you’re _royalty_?”  
  
“Last of the Saporian Royal Line.” Andrew nodded. “Our father was killed here in Corona when we were kids.”  
  
“Oh, man…” Eugene cringed. “What happened?”  
  
“Bad timing, I guess. Got accused of helping with kidnapping the princess.” Andrew sighed. “So, that’s your dad? Why aren’t you happy to see him, then?”  
  
“What? He sent me away.” Eugene frowned. “Why would I be _happy_?”  
  
“Why did he send you away?” Andrew asked.  
  
“Wha…” Eugene sighed. “I don’t know why it _matters_.”  
  
“Because if _I_ had the chance to see my father again, I wouldn’t be grumbling and glaring while riding with him.” Andrew crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow. “But then, maybe I’m just _weird_ that way.”  
  
Eugene winced a bit. “…He sent me away because the Moonstone Opal was killing everyone and he was going to fight it. He sent everyone but the Brotherhood away.”  
  
“So, he did it to _save your life_ , in other words.” Andrew nodded.  
  
“I just…it’s a _shock_ , okay? I thought I was an orphan for years, but he’s been alive all this time and…ugh!” He ran his hands over his face. “I don’t know what to _feel_ about it!”  
  
“Maybe you should actually try to take the chance to _know_ him.” Andrew suggested. “You might find that you really get along. _Varian_ seemed to be happy enough.”  
  
“ _Varian_ was happy to find a way to learn more about _his father’s past_ that he doesn’t talk about.” Eugene sighed. “But…maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m being too harsh on him.” He got up and went to pull the box out of Maximus’ saddlebag, opening it when he sat back down. “He gave me some…family heirloom.” He showed him the sash inside.  
  
Andrew reached for it, then paused. “May I?”  
  
Eugene nodded with a smile. “Sure.”  
  
Andrew picked it up gently, looking it over reverently. “It’s beautiful. Fine craftwork.” He looked up at Eugene. “Try it on.”  
  
“What?” Eugene raised an eyebrow. “Now?”  
  
Andrew held it out to him. Eugene sighed and accepted it, then hesitantly put it on. “Feels kind of…weird.”  
  
“Looks great.” Andrew smiled softly. “We don’t really have any actual heirlooms from before the war.”  
  
Eugene looked at the sash, running his hands along the leather and metal. “I guess…it’s kind of cool.” He took it off and put it back in the box, closing it. “Uhm, I gotta go, though. Got some plans with Rapunzel, a picnic lunch and stuff.”  
  
“Alright.” Andrew nodded. “Safe travels. Thanks for taking the time to talk.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded. “And, uhm…sorry about your dad.” He got up, holding the box. “I’ll think about what you said.”  
  
Andrew nodded. “Maybe I’ll go meet the man myself. I mean, he brought you into the world _and_ sought you out, he can’t be _too_ bad.”  
  
Eugene chuckled and went to the door. “Tell Juniper I said ‘hi’.”  
  
“Will do.” Andrew nodded. “And, Eugene?”  
  
Eugene looked back at him. “Hm?”  
  
“Thanks for bringing Varian home.” He nodded.  
  
Eugene smiled softly and opened the door. “Thanks for keeping him safe all that time. You’re a good guy, Andrew, even if you’re still less attractive than me.” He joked.  
  
Andrew rolled his eyes with a chuckle. “Keep telling yourself that, Eugene.”  
  
Eugene grinned and then walked out, closing the door behind him and getting back on Maximus to ride back to Corona.  
  
\--  
  
That evening, Eugene sat on the castle roof watching the sun set, the box in his lap as he clutched his hands around it tightly.   
  
“Thinking about your dad?” Rapunzel asked, walking over to sit next to him.  
  
“Okay, first of all, while he may have helped bring me into the world, he is _not_ my dad, okay? He’s just a strange man who can’t keep his thoughts to himself.” Eugene closed the box and looked to the side. “Whatever his reasons, he abandoned me as a child, and he didn’t even _try_ to stay in touch with me! And then he just…shows up out of the blue with _this_ thing!” He picked up the box.  
  
“Eugene, Edmund’s only company is a crow who could get lost in a boot.” Rapunzel reminded him. “He’s _lonely_. Come on, give him a chance.” She smiled brightly. “You might even get to _like_ him!”  
  
“And Shorty could sprout wings and lay an egg.” Eugene said sarcastically.  
  
“Exactly! He’s _done_ that!” Rapunzel reminded him cheerfully.  
  
“Oh, god, I forgot about that.” Eugene cringed.  
  
Rapunzel smiled encouragingly. “Come on, give it a try. I mean, it’s not like he _wanted_ to lose contact, the Moonstone can be…” She looked off into the horizon, leaving the rest of her sentence unspoken.  
  
Eugene looked at her and sighed, taking her hand. “I’ll try. Okay?”  
  
She smiled. “That’s all I ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is telling Eugene to give his father a chance. Should he do it?


	8. Robbed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene finds his gift from King Edmund has been stolen! With a heavy heart, he reports the loss to his father and ends up on a whirlwind adventure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Froggy, I gotta say, that was the most _delightful_ breakfast.” Eugene said as he and Pascal finished up a breakfast they were sharing together. Rapunzel was spending breakfast with her parents, as well as the whole day, so it was just him and Pascal.  
  
Oh, right. He’d also told Varian that he would come by and visit today. He groaned a bit, thinking of King Edmund. Despite what everyone had been saying, he _still_ felt upset just _thinking_ of the guy.   
  
He decided to take a quick nap and headed up to his room with Pascal on his shoulder. He opened the door with a sigh, then gasped. “Good _gravy_ , what happened in _here_?!”  
  
Pascal’s jaw dropped as they looked at the mess his room was right now. Things were knocked over, damaged, and the box with the sash was lying open on the ground, empty.  
  
“Wait a minute. Somebody stole the sash!” He said, looking towards the window hanging open. “I’ve been robb—!” He stopped and brought a hand to his chest in realization. “…I’ve been _robbed_. So, _that’s_ how that feels.”  
  
“Somebody say ‘robbed’?” Pete asked, hurrying in with Stan.  
  
“Don’t touch a thing, this is a crime scene!” Stan said, running in to check it over.  
  
They had quickly fallen back into their roles after being let out of the mines Varian had sent them to, which is good because with the Captain gone they were really the only guards Eugene actually knew and could work with.  
  
“Take it easy, guys.” He said, trying to brush it off. “Who cares about that silly, old sash?” He didn’t want to admit it, but he _did_ feel upset about losing it.  
  
Especially since it was a _family heirloom._ He sighed, resigning himself to telling Edmund, and turned to go. “I need to go…talk to Edmund. Good luck, guys.” He headed off to the stables.  
  
\--  
  
He got off of Maximus outside of the manor in Old Corona and approached the door, knocking twice. The door opened and Varian smiled up at him. “Hey, Eugene!”  
  
“Hey, kid…” Eugene sighed. “Is, uh, Edmund around?”  
  
“Yeah, come on in.” Varian nodded, opening the door wider to let him in. Eugene stepped past him and Varian closed the door. “Is everything okay?”  
  
“Well, uh…no.” Eugene sighed. “Where’s Edmund?”  
  
Varian led him over to where Edmund was looking at Varian’s family portrait. “Ah, Varian, there you are. I’m curious about this stripe in your hair, it seems that you were born with it?”  
  
Varian shrugged. “No idea. Dad doesn’t know, either, and mom…” He sighed. “She’s gone.”  
  
Edmund nodded sadly, then looked to the side. “Oh! My son!” He smiled. “You’re back!”  
  
“Yeah, uh…” Eugene shifted a bit. “Dad, uhm…the sash is gone. Someone stole it.”  
  
“S-Someone _stole_ the _sash_?!” He asked, taken aback.  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded, glancing away. “I went to breakfast and it was gone when I came back. No idea where it is now. But, don’t worry, Stan and Pete are on it, and they are perfectly capable at their jobs.”  
  
“No offense, Eugene, but Pete accepted a cookie from a ‘man’ in a bush. He’s not the brightest torch in the room.” Varian raised an eyebrow.  
  
Edmund looked at them. “I will _not_ leave Corona until our family’s sash is safely recovered! Quirin!” He walked off to find him. “We have to find a thief!”  
  
Eugene groaned. “Right…I’m sure things will be fine. Uh, sorry about him taking your dad on a, probably, wild-goose chase.”  
  
Quirin walked over to Varian. “Go pack your backpack. We’re going out.”  
  
“Yes!” Varian ran off to his lab.  
  
“What?” Eugene frowned.  
  
“We’re all going to find who took the sash, he says.” Quirin said, looking a cross between annoyed and weary. “I swear, if this is another case of ‘who took Hector’s cape’…” He grumbled.  
  
“What do we do first?” Varian asked, walking over to them with his backpack on.  
  
“I guess we go back to the castle and see if they found any clues.” Eugene said, sighing. At least Varian seemed to be having fun, he wasn’t going to ruin that. And what would it hurt to spend some time with Edmund, anyway?  
  
Ruddiger and Hamuel quickly joined their owners as they headed out and Eugene looked at Pascal, who was still on his shoulder. “So, are you joining me for this, or should I drop you off with Rapunzel?”  
  
Pascal punched one claw into the other, a determined look on his face. “Okay, so you’re in.”  
  
Before they left, Quirin grabbed a sword that Eugene didn’t know he had and tied it to his belt, then gave Varian a sheathed dagger, showing him how to tie it to his own belt.  
  
“So, how come you’ve got a dagger instead of a sword?” Eugene asked, making a mental note to grab one when they got back to the castle. Geez, they were taking this whole stolen-sash thing seriously.  
  
“I’m less likely to trip and stab myself on it.” Varian shrugged. “Honestly, I’m lucky he’s letting me have a weapon _at all_.”  
  
“Don’t get used to it, this is just because King Edmund insisted on you coming along and we’re potentially going to be dealing with violent criminals.” Quirin said as he went to get a horse out of a rebuilt stable.  
  
Varian sighed. “I don’t see why he won’t just teach me to _fight_. I mean, he _knows_ the kind of stuff I’ve had to go through.”  
  
Eugene shrugged. “Well, maybe… _I_ could teach you.”  
  
Varian smiled. “Maybe.”  
  
Quirin came back over to them with two horses saddled up. Varian went to get onto one of them and Ruddiger hopped up onto its back behind him. Quirin made sure he was secure before he went to get onto his own horse. “On your signal.”  
  
“Let’s move.” King Edmund nodded and then they took off riding through town.  
  
“Have fun!” They heard Juniper call with a grin. Andrew nudged her and she laughed and Eugene wondered what _that_ was about.  
  
\--  
  
“We couldn’t find any clues.” Pete reported.  
  
Eugene raised an eyebrow and walked past him into the room, picking up a piece of paper on the floor. “Oh, wow. A ransom note.”   
  
Varian, who was hiding under King Edmund’s cloak, mouthed “told you” to him and Eugene resisted the urge to laugh.  
  
“So, what’s it say?” King Edmund asked as Quirin picked up the empty box.  
  
“Whoever took it wants to exchange the sash for gold at Mount Saison.” Eugene said, frowning at the note.  
  
“Whatever the price, no matter how far, we _must_ get it back.” King Edmund said dramatically.  
  
“Should we tell the King?” Stan asked.   
  
“Or the Princess?” Pete added.  
  
“No, this is…it’s not a matter to concern the royal family with, it’s a personal matter.” Eugene assured them. “We better get going.”  
  
They headed out, Varian staying under the large man’s cloak until they were out with the horses again. Even then, they kept him hidden under the cloak and led the horse along until they got to the woods, where he got out from under it and climbed up onto his horse.  
  
“We should get you your own cloak.” King Edmund suggested as they rode off together.  
  
“Mm, I don’t know if it would help. My hair kind of stands out.” Varian admitted.  
  
“Hey, why did you come alone? Where’s Adira and Hector?” Eugene asked.  
  
“As we speak, they are attempting to track down the witch that stole the Moonstone Opal.” King Edmund revealed. “We are hoping to stop her and get it back before she gets to Corona, as she intends.”  
  
“Cassie…” Varian gripped the reins of his horse tighter, his gaze distant.  
  
“By the way, before we get too far, did anyone pack food?” Eugene asked.  
  
“I packed ham sandwiches.” Varian grinned.  
  
“It’s his favorite food.” Quirin shrugged.  
  
“Well, as long as we _have_ food. This is going to be a day-long trip.” Eugene sighed heavily.  
  
“Relax, Horace, this is going to be _fun_!” King Edmund smiled. “Why, I remember going out on hunts for bandits with the Brotherhood in my youth.”  
  
“Those weren’t ‘fun’, Your Majesty.” Quirin commented.  
  
“I believe you were the _only_ one to think so.” King Edmund chuckled.  
  
“Wow, okay, so—did you just call me ‘Horace’?” Eugene asked in disbelief.  
  
“Indeed, Horace is your given name!” King Edmund replied, then looked at him. “Did I…not mention that?”  
  
“No, you _didn’t_!” Eugene said in exasperation. “How is it _possible_ that my _real_ name is even worse than _Eugene_?”  
  
Varian and Maximus laughed and he rolled his eyes. “Ha, ha. Real funny.” He looked at King Edmund. “You know what? Nevermind. Let’s just…focus on the mission.”  
  
“You got it, Horace.” Varian teased.  
  
Eugene looked at him. “I’m gonna smoosh your head under my fist if you say that name again.”  
  
“Threat received.” Varian held up his hands in surrender with a grin before grabbing the reins again.  
  
“For the record, we are _sticking_ with Eugene, got it?” Eugene told them as they continued into the woods.  
  
“Whatever you say, Horace.” King Edmund said smugly.  
  
\--  
  
Down below the bridge leading to Corona, the Stabbingtons were sitting by a boat. “Never thought we’d be setting foot in Corona again.” Sideburns said bitterly. “But, it’ll be _worth_ it once we close the book on Flynn Rider… _for good_.”  
  
\--  
  
“Ha, ha! Such a beautiful day for a trek!” King Edmund said as they went through the woods towards Mount Saison.  
  
Varian watched as Hamuel flew around in front of them, Ruddiger hopping from branch to branch trying to jump onto him mid-flight. Quirin smiled a bit, seeing him at such peace for once.  
  
“My spirits soar like Hamuel, my graceful friend in flight!” King Edmund went on, as Ruddiger collided with Hamuel and they both fell into a bush, prompting Maximus and Pascal to laugh.  
  
“Ruddiger?” Varian called.  
  
Ruddiger came out and climbed up onto Varian’s horse again. Hamuel came out and flew up to rest on Edmund’s shoulder with an indignant caw.  
  
“Sorry about him, Your Majesty.” Varian said sheepishly.  
  
“No, no, it’s fine.” King Edmund chuckled. “It’s been quite some time since he had a decent tussle with the youth.”  
  
“How old _is_ that bird?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Why, older than you!” King Edmund assured him.  
  
Varian did the mental math. “… _How_ is he alive?”  
  
King Edmund just gave him a secretive smile and Varian decided the matter was dropped.  
  
Eugene sighed, closing his eyes. “Can we _focus_ , please? The sooner we get up to Mount Saison and get the sash, the sooner we can get back to Corona and _you_ can get back to—where did Edmund and Varian go?” He asked, having opened his eyes and seen them both gone.  
  
Quirin just let out an exasperated sigh.   
  
“Horace, come and look at these ‘rabbit pellets’! Have you ever seen fecal matter so round?” King Edmund called.  
  
“We’re over here, Eugene.” Varian called, holding up a hand from behind a large log they were apparently both behind. “Have you never seen a rabbit, Your Majesty?”  
  
“Not yet, no. Are they rare?” He asked curiously.  
  
“No, not at all. When we spot one, I’ll point it out.” Varian said as they both got up.  
  
Eugene watched them, remembering what Rapunzel had said about King Edmund being lonely with only a crow for company. Wasn’t Varian much the same way, with his raccoon, and Rapunzel with Pascal when he first met her? Maybe…he _was_ being too harsh on the guy.  
  
Maybe.  
  
“Uh, the _sash_?” He reminded them.  
  
“Oh, right.” King Edmund nodded and they headed back to their horses.  
  
“Varian, you mentioned you had sandwiches?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Well, yeah, but we haven’t been on the road that long and I didn’t make more then two meals’ worth.” Varian shrugged. “If you’re hungry right now, those berries are safe to eat and there’s an apple tree over there.” He pointed to a bush, then to a tree a bit aways.  
  
“Right.” Eugene got off Maximus and went to get something to eat. “Hey, Edmund…what’s in that bag you’re wearing?” He turned back to him.  
  
“Oh, well…” He placed his hand on it. “I could show you?”  
  
“Sure. Hold on.” Eugene went to get food.  
  
Quirin sighed and looked at King Edmund. “Your Majesty…”  
  
Eugene came back with berries and popped them into his mouth. “Mmm, these are _delicious_! How’d you know they were safe to eat, Varian?”  
  
“I couldn’t go shopping when I was in isolation for months.” Varian shrugged. “I had to live off the land when I ran out of food.”  
  
Eugene winced. “…Right. Sorry about that.”  
  
“It’s fine.” Varian waved it off. “Don’t we have a sash to go find?”  
  
“Right. Edmund, you wanted to show me something?” Eugene asked.  
  
King Edmund reached into his pack and pulled out…a toy, wind-up crow? Eugene walked over and looked into the bag. “…Is this _all_ just toys and junk?”  
  
King Edmund smiled. “It’s not junk. It’s my lucky charms.”  
  
“Right.” Eugene walked over and got onto Maximus. “Let’s get that sash and get Varian back home before it gets dark, huh? It’s a lot more dangerous at night.”  
  
“You know, when we don’t have guards and angry townsfolk to worry about, I’m _clearly_ perfectly capable of taking care of myself, since I survived _almost three months of isolation_.” Varian said with a frown. “I wish everyone would stop treating me like a helpless kid! Hyah!” He flicked the reins and moved on ahead of them.  
  
Eugene rubbed the back of his neck before he followed the other two after him.  
  
\--  
  
Varian was still in a bad mood when King Edmund suggested they stop and rest and he curled up against a tree with Ruddiger in his arms as King Edmund dug out an axe and threw it into a tree to get down a twig for a fishing pole. Quirin looked at him in exasperation before he climbed up the tree to get his axe back and Eugene walked over to sit next to Varian. “Hey, ki—uh, Varian.”  
  
“It’s like people either see me as a monster or as a child, there’s no in-between.” Varian said quietly. “I’m sixteen years old, Eugene. I’m so _tired_ of being babied and treated like I’m going to fall and _stab_ myself if I’m given a real weapon.” He pulled out the dagger with a sigh. “I don’t even know how to properly _use_ this…”  
  
“Well,” Eugene got up and offered him a hand up, “I _did_ offer to teach you, didn’t I?” He smiled.  
  
Ruddiger climbed out his arms and Varian got up. He looked over at his distracted father before looking at Eugene. “…Okay.”  
  
Eugene smiled and pulled out his own dagger. “Alright, follow my lead. I’m gonna teach you some moves before we actually spar.”  
  
“Okay.” Varian nodded, and then they started, with Eugene showing Varian what to do and him following his lead. Soon they were doing it at the same time and then they were practicing against each other.  
  
Eugene found that Varian was pretty good at dodging, which he hadn’t expected. He was surprisingly agile for his weak appearance and he even blocked and countered a few times, even though he mostly dodged. Eugene noticed that he was getting steadily better and grinned as he got more serious, the two moving back and forth and around and around, their blades clashing and whizzing through the air.  
  
Something was wrong, though. Varian’s gaze wasn’t playful, or even determined, it was…cold. Ruthless. He was looking at him as an actual enemy, and almost trance-like in nature, with a mixture of fear and rage. “Time out!” He said, dodging an attack from the younger male. “Time out! Time out, Varian! That’s enough!” He let out a sharp hiss as Varian cut his arm when he dodged him, clearly aiming for something else. “I said ‘that’s enough’, Varian!”  
  
Varian stopped short and blinked before gasping and dropping the dagger. “I-I’m sorry.”  
  
“It’s just a scratch, I’ll be fine. But, kid…” Eugene walked over and placed his hand on his shoulder. “What… _was_ that?”  
  
Varian glanced away. “… _This_ must be why dad doesn’t let me fight. Because he thinks that I’ll _shut down_ and…go back to… _that_ time.”  
  
“’ _That_ time’?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Those months of isolation…just me, Ruddiger and the disguised Royal Guard. Every day, they would chase me, strike me, hunt me for sport and then drag me back kicking and screaming to rest until the next day. I could never fight back, though I _desperately_ wanted to. And now…when I was fighting you, when you were _attacking_ me, I saw… _them_.” Varian stepped back. “…I’m sorry. I should just stick to alchemy.”  
  
“No, no.” Eugene knelt down and wiped off the dagger before putting it back in Varian’s sheathe. “You need to learn how to fight without it, but…first, we gotta work through this trauma.”  
  
“Horace, Varian, come and join us for fishing!” King Edmund called.  
  
Varian looked at Eugene. “If dad _knew_ , he’d _never_ let me hold a blade _again_. He’d _never_ let me out of his _sight_.”  
  
“He doesn’t need to know. Cuts happen in sparring all the time.” He assured him with a smile. “See, it’s already stopped bleeding. By the way, you didn’t pass out.”  
  
“I had to tend to too many of my own wounds.” Varian said grimly. “I think I’ve grown past it.”  
  
Eugene gently squeezed his shoulder and led him over to where the other two were, a comforting smile on his face.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel walked over and sat on the edge of a fountain, where a little girl was sitting. “Making wishes?”  
  
“Huh?” The little girl held out her empty hands. “Hm…”  
  
Rapunzel smiled and reached behind her ear, then pulled out a coin from behind it, handing it to her. “Eugene taught me that trick. Come on. Go ahead, make a wish!”  
  
The girl made a wish, then tossed the coin into the fountain. Rapunzel was distracted by Feldspar coming up with Stan and Pete. “Princess! Somebody broke in my shop and tracked two sets of identical muddy footprints across my new rug!”  
  
Identical footprints? Oh, _please_ don’t let this be who Rapunzel suspected it was.  
  
“I saw them! One of them had an eyepatch!” The little girl chimed in.  
  
Rapunzel looked at her, then looked back at the guards as she stood up. “Double security. I want sentries posted on the bridge and patrols every hour!” She said firmly.  
  
“Yes, Princess!” They said in unison.  
  
“The Stabbingtons are back in Corona.” She scowled.  
  
Of all the times for Eugene to be busy! Oh, but she couldn’t begrudge him for spending time with his father, he _needed_ this. And her own parents were busy with undoing political damage done by Varian and the Saporians – which, admittedly, wasn’t much. The kid had a head on his shoulders for politics, apparently, or at least Andrew did.  
  
She hurried off to make sure that other guards got the order, pausing to give the little girl more wishing money before she ran on.  
  
“Don’t worry, Princess!” Stan called after her. “Those Stabbingtons are as good as—”   
  
They yelped as they were yanked into an alleyway, with Rapunzel already gone to not notice. The little girl nervously threw in a coin to make another wish.  
  
\--  
  
Eyepatch calmly sliced an apple and flipped the piece up into his mouth as Sideburns approached the bound guards. “Where is he? Where’s Rider?” Sideburns demanded.  
  
“Hey, aren’t these the guys Eugene keeps beating?” Pete asked Stan quietly.  
  
Sideburns grunted and grabbed the rope binding them, yanking them forward. “Where is he?!”  
  
“We don’t know.” Stan lied.  
  
“Yes, we do.” Pete thoughtlessly corrected him. “He’s headed to Mount Saison with his dad and the Mayor of Old Corona to get back that priceless sash.” He paused. “Hey, wait, wasn’t there a fourth horse? You don’t think _that kid_ is with—”  
  
“Hehehe.” Sideburns let go of them and stood up. “Mount Saison, huh?” He walked out of the alleyway with Eyepatch, leaving them tied up.  
  
“But—But, you’ll _never_ catch him, Eugene moves faster than the wind!” Stan insisted.  
  
\--  
  
“Normal fishing is…boring.” Varian commented.  
  
“’Normal fishing’?” Eugene laughed. “Okay, how do _you_ normally fish, then?”  
  
“Head to where the black rocks are jutting out of the water and get any fish that got stuck.” Varian shrugged. “Sustained me for months.”  
  
“That’s…actually kind of genius.” Eugene said thoughtfully.  
  
“I know.” Varian said smugly.  
  
King Edmund laughed. “Oh, you need to meet Adira. I think you and her would get along great!”  
  
Quirin glanced at him but didn’t comment on it.  
  
“Oh! Oh, I think I got something, Horace!” King Edmund said as his line shifted.  
  
“For the eleven-teenth time, it’s _Eugene_.” Eugene said with exasperation.  
  
“Twenty-pounder, easy.” King Edmund said thoughtfully. “Maybe thirty. Hope you’re hungry!”  
  
Hamuel cawed and then grabbed the little fish that came out finally. Ruddiger chittered his laughter from where he was sitting on Maximus’ saddle with Pascal.  
  
“Ruddiger, don’t be rude.” Varian scolded him.  
  
“Well, at least it was a _fish_ this time.” Eugene said, indicating the pile of wood behind them.  
  
King Edmund got up and walked away a bit. “My son thinks me a fool. Hmm.” He gasped. “Just wait until I reveal the figgy pudding in my pocket! _That_ will change his tune!”  
  
He turned to Eugene and cleared his throat. “I have something in my pocket that will change your tune.”  
  
“Did you just say you have _figgy pudding_ in your _pocket_?” Eugene asked in disbelief. “I don’t know what’s weirder, that you have _figgy pudding_ in your _pocket_ , or that your _armor_ actually has _pockets_!”  
  
“Actually, that’s pretty genius.” Varian said thoughtfully. “ _All_ armor should have pockets!”  
  
“Ha, ha! But, who shall partake of it?” King Edmund asked.  
  
“I don’t want _any_ of your pocket pudding.” Eugene said darkly.  
  
Quirin brought a hand to his head and stood up. “Your Majesty, can we _please_ move on? This trip is already going to take a day as it is.”  
  
“Ah, but you do!” King Edmund moved up close, leaning into Eugene and ignoring Quirin’s plea. “I can tell a lot by looking into a man’s eyes.”  
  
“Apparently, you can’t.” Eugene said as he pulled away.  
  
Varian put his fishing rod aside and got up.  
  
“But, you shan’t have it so easily!” King Edmund declared. “To see who claims this figgy pudding, we shall have a contest! A game of marksmanship, if you will! Ha, ha!” He pulled his axe out and laughed.  
  
“’Ha, ha’! I won’t.” Eugene said, walking after him with an annoyed expression.  
  
“That settles it! The game is afoot!” King Edmund declared.  
  
Varian walked over to Eugene. “You know, _maybe_ you should appreciate the fact that your dad is trying to _connect_ with you more. I mean, _some_ of us had it the other way around for _years_.”  
  
Eugene and Quirin both winced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing like family bonding while going to retrieve a stolen item!


	9. Bonding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The quest goes on, with King Edmund finally making some headway in his relationship with his son!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

_you_ wanting to play some kind of game…”  
  
“Clearly, _you_ were the sensible one.” Varian remarked.  
  
Hamuel flew around them and then slammed into a tree stump with a distressed caw. Ruddiger came over and picked him up before carrying him back to the group. He shook himself off once he was set down and cawed.  
  
“Thank you for your service, Hamuel!” King Edmund said cheerfully. “We have a target.”  
  
“Edmund, you can just have the pudding.” Eugene insisted.  
  
“Nonsense!” King Edmund grinned. “We shall play this delightful game, and revel in each other’s company!” He threw the axe with a grunt and it landed in the stump.  
  
Varian sat down and took off his backpack, pulling out his notes and the scroll he’d packed. Quirin sat next to him, quietly watching him work.  
  
“I know what you’re thinking: ‘I bet _that_ was a lucky shot’!” King Edmund said enthusiastically.  
  
“Not even _close_ to what I was thinking.” Eugene argued.  
  
Quirin sighed. “He can be overbearing, can’t he?”  
  
“He wants to spend time playing games with his son. Nothing wrong with that. It’s healthy, family bonding.” Varian said, not looking at him as he spoke. “I’m trying to work, so unless you have something that isn’t _negative_ to say, please get out of my light.”  
  
Quirin tensed, then nodded and got up, walking over to watch King Edmund and Eugene.  
  
“Let’s try for two in a row!” King Edmund said eagerly, grabbing Eugene’s sword and throwing it at the stump. Varian looked up just in time to see it go over the edge with _both_ their weapons.  
  
“…Did that just _happen_?” He asked in disbelief.  
  
Quirin groaned, placing his head on his face. “It’s alright, Eugene, I still have my sword, and you and Varian both have daggers, if it comes to it.”  
  
“Good thing I had the foresight to _pack_ one.” Eugene muttered.  
  
“Well, lucky for us, nothing is more dangerous than our cutting wits, eh, Horace?” King Edmund said jovially.  
  
“It’s _Euge—_ you know what? This is impossible.” Eugene threw his hands up in exasperation.   
  
“If something is not impossible,” King Edmund started, and Varian’s eyes lit up as he recognized the quote, “it’s not worth doing!”  
  
“I mean, what is _wro_ —” Eugene stopped short and turned to King Edmund. “Wait. Did you just say, ‘if something is not impossible—"   
  
“It’s not worth doing’!” They finished in unison.  
  
“Why, yes, I did!” King Edmund said cheerfully.  
  
Varian started to pack up his work and put it in his bag.  
  
“’Flynn Rider and the Lost Treasure of Scotia’!” Eugene said with a grin.  
  
“One of my favorite books!” King Edmund revealed.  
  
“Me, too!” Eugene said cheerfully. “Until I lost it, I accidentally dropped it off a cliff.” He pouted.  
  
Varian finished packing up his bag and put it on his back before walking over to them to listen as they continued on.  
  
“Hey, do you remember when Rider was on the canoe, heading for the waterfall?” Eugene asked excitedly. Varian nodded eagerly, having read that very book last week, but kept quiet.  
  
“Yes! He leaps onto the rocks,” King Edmund jumped into the air and landed on a rock, “but not before saving the…treasure!” He finished in unison with Eugene.  
  
“The treasure!” Eugene laughed. “Oh, it was brilliant!” He wrapped an arm around King Edmund’s shoulder as they laughed with joy over finally finding something to bond over.  
  
Quirin walked over to the horses and sighed, waiting for them to finish. Varian cast him a longing glance but kept his thoughts to himself.  
  
“Your Majesty, Eugene, we have to be going.” Quirin reminded them.  
  
“Of course, of course!” King Edmund agreed.  
  
“Hey, Varian here is a big fan of the books, too! He actually thought I was the _real_ Flynn Rider, and had _all_ the books when I met him!” Eugene grinned, nudging Varian playfully.  
  
“Hey, you _really_ got the look down.” Varian shrugged. “And I _still_ have all of them.”  
  
“Your Majesty.” Quirin prompted.  
  
“Of course, let’s move on! We can talk on the way.” King Edmund grinned.  
  
“Hey, Varian, tell him about that sword thing you made.” Eugene suggested as they got back to the horses.  
  
“Oh, what, no, that thing was so…there was so many…I need to revamp the design, and…” Varian blushed. “I-It got destroyed, anyway. I’ll have to build a new one, a better one.”  
  
“I’ll be happy to see it when it’s finished.” King Edmund smiled as they all got back onto their horses, Pascal climbing onto Eugene’s shoulder and Ruddiger getting onto Varian’s horse when Eugene got onto Maximus. Hamuel settled down on King Edmund’s shoulder and let out a caw as they set off.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel and Fidella found Stan and Pete sobbing in an alleyway, and Rapunzel quickly ran to them. “How’d you find us?” Stan asked as she started to untie them.  
  
“I tracked those muddy footprints.” Rapunzel replied. “Those guys should _really_ wipe their shoes.” She rolled her eyes, then stood up after she finished untying the ropes. “Also, it helped that you guys were weeping loudly.”  
  
“Just doing our part!” Pete said as he fixed his helmet.  
  
“I’m sorry, Princess.” Stan said sheepishly. “The Stabbingtons came out of nowhere!”  
  
“It’s okay. I’m sure they’re after Eugene.” She looked to the side. “Good thing he’s out of town.”  
  
“Eh…” Stan shifted awkwardly.  
  
“Uhm…” Pete glanced to the side nervously.  
  
“Wait. You didn’t tell them about Mount Saison, did you?” She asked.  
  
“Uh…yeeeeeahh…” They said in unison.  
  
“Ugh.” Rapunzel groaned. “You know what? I’ll take it from here, guys. Come on, Fidella.” She climbed up onto the horse. “We’re bringing in the Stabbingtons.”  
  
“Uhm, Princess?” Pete spoke up. “They didn’t go alone. Uhm. Eugene and his dad, that is. They had the Mayor of Old Corona with them…and a fourth horse without a visible rider.”  
  
Rapunzel groaned internally. That meant that _Varian_ must be with them, which meant he was going to be in _danger_ because Stan and Pete couldn’t keep their mouths shut, no truth serum required. Eugene, King Edmund and Quirin were all capable fighters, but Varian wasn’t a _fighter_ , he was an _alchemist_ , she had to get over there and make sure he didn’t get _killed_ because of a couple careless guards! Deciding not to let them know what she’d realized, she took off for Mount Saison.  
  
\--  
  
Eugene laughed as they continued talking about the books, Eugene and Edmund walking ahead of the other two and their horses. “Oh, no! And—and do you two remember when Flynn Rider says, ‘the Kingdom and I aren’t exactly _simpatico_ at the moment’.”  
  
“Yes!” King Edmund laughed. “And people think it’s a kid’s book!”  
  
“I mean, to be fair, I _have_ been reading them since I was four years old.” Varian grinned.  
  
“Not the same thing, and you know it.” Eugene playfully pointed at him.  
  
“Adults _everywhere_ appreciate the nuance of Flynn Rider’s adventures!” King Edmund said with a serene expression.  
  
Eugene suddenly stopped short and held out a hand to indicate silence. “I don’t think we’re alone.” He said quietly.  
  
Varian nodded and moved his hand to his dagger as he and his father got down off their horses to join the other two on the ground.  
  
“Right again, Rider.” They turned to see Maximus and Domino, King Edmund’s horse, being bound and looking like they’d been drugged. “Or is it ‘Eugene’?” Sideburns said as he finished securing the rope around Maximus.  
  
Varian frowned and moved closer to Eugene, pulling out his dagger as Eugene did the same. Quirin moved closer to King Edmund, pulling out his sword.  
  
“Don’t ask.” Eugene said with exasperation, then looked over as Eyepatch came out of the wheat. “Oh boy. Edmund, long-lost father, meet Stabbingtons, lifelong nemeses.” He decided not to draw their attention to Varian, it would be best if they just overlooked him completely. “Edmund claims he’s my father but, you know, I _actually_ have more of a history with _you_ guys. So, in a way, this is kind of like a family gathering for me!”  
  
“Oh, yay, _more_ family.” Varian said quietly.  
  
“Say, who wants some pudding?” Eugene asked cheerfully.  
  
“I can tell _he_ wants some pudding!” King Edmund suddenly raised his hand and threw figgy pudding at Sideburns.  
  
“Agh!” The man cried out as it hit.  
  
“He can tell a _lot_ by looking in a man’s eyes!” Eugene said cheerfully.  
  
He then jumped at Sideburns and King Edmund turned to fight Eyepatch. Quirin joined King Edmund and Varian ran to join Eugene, the two of them ganging up on the pudding-blinded man.  
  
Eugene pointed his dagger at him. “Alright, kid, remember what I taught you! And try to stay calm, alright?”  
  
Varian nodded, taking a deep breath before dodging to avoid being hit by the Stabbington. “Keep calm, you can do this. No problem.” He said to himself as he tried to remember his training with Eugene.  
  
He got clocked in the head by a large fist and fell into the wheat, Eugene enduring the same thing and both of them disappearing from his view.  
  
“Where’d you two go?” He pushed into the wheat.  
  
Varian felt Ruddiger climbing up his back and then pink balls dropped into his hands. He nodded and passed one to Eugene. Then Ruddiger and Pascal dove at the man, knocking him back out of the wheat.  
  
“Agh! Frog! Dirty cat!” He stumbled back. Varian and Eugene ran forward and threw the pink balls, engulfing the man in pink smoke as he hit the ground, the animals jumping off just in time. When the smoke cleared, he was pinned on his back by the pink goo.   
  
“Phew!” Varian stood over the man. “Eugene, go help our dads!”  
  
“Uh, no, I’m staying right here because he is strong enough, he might break free.” Eugene said, shaking his head.  
  
“This thing can hold Maximus.” Varian assured him.  
  
“And he just took down Maximus.” Eugene looked over at Eyepatch being tossed into the wheat by their fathers.  
  
“ _Man_ , our dads are cool.” Varian said in awe.  
  
Their attention was drawn back to Sideburns, who was breaking free of the goo. Varian escaped his reach just in time when he swiped at him.  
  
“Keep an eye out!” Quirin called. “He hasn’t resurfaced yet!”  
  
“What’s that mean?” Varian asked.  
  
“It means that we need to watch for hands in the wheat.” Eugene explained, then gasped as Varian yelped when he got grabbed and yanked into the wheat.  
  
Ruddiger dove in before anyone could blink and they heard an agonizing scream of pain. Varian came out of the wheat looking alarmed and then Ruddiger ran out to stand in front of him, hissing, with blood all over his snout.  
  
“I-Is he alive?!” Eugene yelped.  
  
“H-He is, he’s just…uhm…that hand is gonna need some…healing.” Varian said awkwardly, looking a little ill.  
  
Sideburns shoved them aside and went into the wheat to find his brother. King Edmund and Quirin ran over while Varian knelt next to Ruddiger.  
  
“Son, are you alright?” Quirin asked.  
  
“Y-Yeah.” Varian nodded.  
  
They looked up as the Stabbingtons came out, both looking furious, and Eyepatch holding his bloody hand. Varian pulled Ruddiger close.  
  
“Give us the dirty cat and Rider and we won’t _kill you_.” Sideburns growled.  
  
Varian tensed and Quirin pulled him to his feet and behind him. “Over my dead body.” He said coldly.  
  
Varian stepped back with Ruddiger, then fled into the wheat. Eugene went in after him and the brothers roared, moving around the fathers, only for Sideburns to be caught by Quirin and thrown back into the wheat.   
  
Eyepatch managed to get to the other side and, while Sideburns was charging at the fathers again, dug around in the wheat furiously. “Where are you, Rider…”  
  
He saw movement in the wheat and pushed towards it furiously. “Aha!” He groaned when he saw Varian slipping away. “Get BACK here!” He chased him down.  
  
Eugene slammed into him and pinned him down, sitting on his back, tying him up with wheat. “And STAY down!”  
  
They heard a telltale sound of a frying pan hitting a head and then Rapunzel came through into the wheat, looking relieved. Eugene let the Stabbington brother up and Rapunzel hit him three times before the man went back down, unconscious.  
  
“…Was three _necessary_?” Eugene asked. She shrugged. “Right, well, let’s go see if we can find Varian.” He dragged Eyepatch out and dropped him, then headed back into the wheat. “Varian!”  
  
\--  
  
He needed to run. Run and run and keep running. He held Ruddiger close to him, his heart pounding in his chest as he pushed through the wheat. Wheat? No, black rocks. He was seeing black rocks around him, towering, indestructible. Behind him, he could hear blades nicking the stone, footsteps running. He held onto Ruddiger tighter, breathing heavily as he felt his lungs starting to burn. He only needed to run a bit further…just a bit further and he’d be _free_.  
  
He felt a hand grab his shoulder and let out a scream, throwing out a fist blindly. His wrist was grabbed, he was being pulled closer to the man in the iron mask that had him, Ruddiger was squirming in his grasp.   
  
“Let go, let go, let go!” He screamed, then let out a sob as he was held against a firm chest and kept from moving away. “I’m _sorry_ , I won’t _run_ anymore, _please_ let go!”  
  
“Varian, it’s okay! It’s me!”  
  
He blinked, the voice sounding…familiar.  
  
“Varian, it’s Eugene, it’s okay.”  
  
He blinked again and slowly realized he was looking at…yellow. Yellow, not black. Wheat. He was being held against a soft white shirt and purple jacket vest, not a red tunic. He looked up at his face and felt relief as Eugene smiled down at him.  
  
“It’s okay.” He gently stroked his hair. “The Stabbingtons are down. We’re safe.”  
  
Varian let out a soft sob and buried his face in his chest. He felt another hand on his shoulder and looked to the side to see Rapunzel smiling at him. “Rapunzel?”  
  
She smiled. “You okay?”  
  
He looked down at Ruddiger, who was licking his cheek with his blood-covered snout. “…Yeah.”  
  
They made their way out of the wheat and Quirin pulled him close with pure relief in his eyes. Varian clung to him, whimpering “I’m sorry” over and over again.  
  
“Well, Stabbingtons aside…this wasn’t so bad. Uhm, we still need to get the sash back.” Eugene reminded King Edmund.  
  
“Oh, right. That.” King Edmund nodded. “Let’s…uhm…let’s go, then.”  
  
“Help me load up the Stabbingtons and I’ll take them back.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
“Maybe you should just wait here for us. We won’t have much longer to go.” King Edmund said awkwardly.  
  
“…Edmund?” Eugene looked at him.  
  
King Edmund sighed. “…Maybe we’ve done enough.”  
  
“Your Majesty,” Varian walked over to him, wiping at his eyes, “are you _sure_?”  
  
“Wait…what’s going on?” Eugene asked.  
  
“I’m content.” King Edmund smiled. “Thank you. I was able to bond with him.”  
  
Varian sighed. “Alright.” He took off his backpack and opened it, reaching in before handing over the sash to Eugene. His eyes widened as Varian spoke. “I had Ruddiger steal the sash. He was…so upset, and I couldn’t stand the fact that you were _throwing away_ a relationship with your father, all because he sent you away to save your life. So, we came up with a plan to have the sash be ‘stolen for ransom’, with the ransom note written by Andrew since you had never seen his handwriting before.”  
  
“ _That’s_ how he knew what we were going to do.” Eugene breathed. “You…this was _so_ _sneaky_!”  
  
“One of my best traits.” Varian grinned, then sighed. “The Stabbingtons weren’t a part of the plan, of course. Or my…panic attacks. But you had fun, right?”  
  
Eugene took the sash, looking at it thoughtfully. “…I did.” He agreed. “I really _did_. Maybe…” He looked at King Edmund. “Maybe we can…be friends, at least.”  
  
“Well, it’s better than you sending me away.” King Edmund smiled. “But…I should be going, anyway. I have to join the search. Thank you, all of you, for putting up with the whims of an old sack of bones.”  
  
Hamuel cawed on his shoulder.  
  
“Well…” Eugene shrugged. “We don’t _have_ to rush off. What do you say we sit down and eat those sandwiches?”  
  
“Guys?” Varian looked over. “…The Stabbingtons are gone.”  
  
“…Oh, that’s not good.” Eugene cringed. “Right. Sandwiches when we all get _safely_ back home, let’s start heading back.”  
  
“Is Ruddiger okay?” Rapunzel asked with concern as they all got onto their horses.  
  
“He bit the brother with the eyepatch on the hand after he grabbed me. He’s fine, but the brother’s not.” Varian replied as he gripped the reins. “I didn’t mean to make any trouble…”  
  
“You didn’t.” Eugene sighed. “You know, did Andrew tell you that I got a lecture from him on my way out from your place yesterday?”  
  
Varian looked at him. “No, he didn’t.”  
  
“Yeah, he was very polite about it, too. Said that if he had the chance to go riding with his father again, he wouldn’t be upset about it. That, considering the circumstances, I should give him a chance.” Eugene admitted. “Also, uh, news flash? He’s a prince. His dad was a king, but he got…well, somehow accused of kidnapping you, Rapunzel, and executed by Frederic.”   
  
Rapunzel gasped. “How can he stand to _look_ at me? I mean…he should be _furious_! _Cass_ is…”  
  
“CassANdra is completely unstable and deranged and you shouldn’t feel guilty about something you had no part in.” Eugene said, shaking his head.  
  
Rapunzel nodded slowly. “If you say so…”  
  
“We’ll worry about Cassie later, though.” Varian suggested. “Right now, we have another problem to deal with.”

Quirin nodded. “Keep your eyes and ears open.” He said as they headed back into the woods.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Stabbingtons are out there somewhere, and they're pissed.


	10. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to go home, but the Stabbingtons are lurking around somewhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“So, does Frederic know you’re out here in the woods with us?” Varian asked.  
  
“Uhhhhm, no. No, he was busy in a meeting and I decided to take matters in my own hands.” She admitted. “So…do you…want to _talk_ about it?”  
  
“Talk about what?” Varian asked.  
  
“That…uhm…screaming and the running and the…”  
  
“No.” Varian urged his horse on ahead.  
  
Quirin sighed. “He told me about what he _did_ …not about all he’d _been through_. Just that he had been hurt, and he shuts down if I push it.”  
  
“He’s so young. But so strong.” King Edmund smiled. “Every moment, he reminds me of Adira and Hector.”  
  
“You say that like it’s a _good_ thing.” Quirin muttered.  
  
Eugene frowned and caught up to Varian. “…You know, you’re _so_ focused on trying to make sure I get close to my dad, but what about _you_ and _your_ dad?”  
  
“It’s a different situation, Eugene. You didn’t _know_ your dad for most of your life, and he didn’t _want_ to give you up, but had no choice. I _have_ had a dad my entire life, but he hasn’t _acted_ like one.” He gripped the reins tighter. “Trust me, you get _real_ tired of ‘not again, Varian’ after fourteen years of it.”  
  
“But, you still… _lost_ _it_ when you lost him?” Eugene asked.  
  
“ _Of course_ , I did. Just because he’s _cold_ to me, it doesn’t mean that we don’t _love_ each other. We’re just…it’s difficult. He has his pride…and I was just stubborn.” Varian sighed heavily. “If I just _listened_ to him, the amber would’ve never been a concern. But I was determined to be a _hero_.” He let go of the reins with one hand and looked at it. “Instead, I became the worst villain this Kingdom has ever seen. And I will never… _ever_ be able to be fully redeemed from that. I’m worse than the Saporians were.” He clenched his fist tightly, then moved it back to the reins.  
  
Eugene pursed his lips, then looked over his shoulder as the others caught up to them. “You know, Blondie, I think they’re gaining an immunity to your frying pan.”  
  
“They _did_ get up awful fast. I even hit one of them three times!” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“They’ve always been pretty thick-skulled, but maybe they’ve just…grown immune to the frying pan and faked it to plot to get us another way.” Eugene frowned.  
  
“So, maybe we should use something else.” Varian suggested.  
  
“Something else?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“What do you have in mind, son?” Quirin asked as King Edmund looked over with interest.  
  
“I collected some certain ingredients earlier.” Varian revealed. “I need some time to prepare it, but I might be able to whip up a powerful sleeping dust.”  
  
“How much time do you need?” Eugene asked.  
  
“About fifteen minutes.” Varian looked around, then steered his horse over to stop next to a log, where he got off, took off his backpack and started to take out alchemy equipment, Ruddiger climbing down to help him set up as if they had been doing this together their whole lives.  
  
It was kind of fascinating to watch.  
  
“Okay, so we stop here, give him cover so he can make the dust.” Eugene said as they all brought their horses over and then got off to sit around him as he worked. He ignored their presence, muttering to his raccoon as he turned on a burner under a beaker and then got out the ingredients for his dust.  
  
“What is this?” King Edmund asked curiously.  
  
“It’s…It’s alchemy. His mother used to do it, and he got into it after her…disappearance.” Quirin explained. “I don’t understand it much myself, but it can either create things, like that goo and this dust, or…well, sometimes it explodes.”  
  
“That’s _brilliant_.” King Edmund said, then looked at Eugene. “Do _you_ know how to do that, Horace?”  
  
“Horace?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Ah-ta-ta, nope, I’m not answering _anything_ you ask me if you use that name.” Eugene said firmly.  
  
“Hey, no offense, but you guys are _really distracting,_ and alchemy is a delicate process.” Varian said as he worked.  
  
“Right. Sorry.” Rapunzel said apologetically.  
  
“Thank you.” He glanced up at them briefly before going back to his work, continuing his muttering to Ruddiger, who chittered back at him.  
  
They heard a twig snap in the ensuing silence and they all stood up, forming a protective circle around the alchemist with their weapons at the ready. Even Hamuel and Pascal prepared to fight.  
  
“Well, isn’t this sweet.” They all tensed as the Stabbingtons came out of the treeline. “You know, we were planning on just killing Rider, but then the cat took a bite out of my hand, and then you were a lot of trouble, so we’re just going to kill _all_ of you.”  
  
“He’s a raccoon.” Varian said impatiently as he worked. The others took defensive positions, Rapunzel letting down her hair to use it as a lasso.  
  
“Doesn’t matter, he’ll be dead soon.” The eye-patched man said mockingly.  
  
“Over my dead body.” Eugene growled.  
  
“That is _literally_ what we want.” Sideburns reminded him.  
  
They charged and the group countered. Rapunzel and Eugene worked together to fight one, while Quirin and King Edmund fought the other, both groups making sure to keep them distracted so Varian could work.   
  
“Hey, just wondering, but how often have you been hit in the head for three hits from a frying pan to _not_ keep you down?” Rapunzel asked as she tripped Eyepatch and knocked him down.  
  
“We’re too strong for your pathetic cookware to keep us down!” He shot out a hand as Pascal shot out his tongue and grabbed the chameleon, yanking him forward. Rapunzel saw red and swung her hair again, smacking his hand to make him let go. “Pascal, get back over there with Va—” She gasped as a large blur of gray rushed past them and slammed into the brothers, knocking them back into a tree before it backed up and slammed into them again.  
  
“Varian?” Rapunzel looked back at him.  
  
Varian looked as confused as she felt but shook his head and went back to his work. “Should be done soon, just keep them distracted!”  
  
“Don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Eugene said as Ruddiger, in his giant monster form, threw the brothers around like ragdolls.  
  
“Ruddiger, don’t kill them!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
Ruddiger slammed them down and growled aggressively, large jaw inches from their heads.  
  
“That’s…impressive.” King Edmund said. “But, how did that little raccoon turn into…this?”  
  
“Ruddiger! Stand down and move!” Varian ordered.  
  
The raccoon did as he was told, moving to the side just before green balls flew through the air. The Stabbingtons were out cold before they could get back up.  
  
“U-Uhm…Ruddiger?” Rapunzel asked anxiously.  
  
Varian walked over and stroked Ruddiger’s fur gently. “It’s okay, buddy. Danger’s past. There’s no need to protect me anymore.” He assured him. “Just let the rage fade away.”  
  
Ruddiger slowly calmed down and shrank down before he jumped into Varian’s arms and licked his face.  
  
“…What’s the story _there_?” King Edmund asked curiously.  
  
Quirin sighed. “It’s…a long one, Your Majesty. Let’s just say that my son is…remarkable.”  
  
King Edmund looked at them with interest but, for once, kept his thoughts to himself. Hamuel flew over and landed on his shoulder, tilting his head at the raccoon curiously.  
  
Varian looked over at the unconscious men. “They should be out until we get back to Corona.” He assured them. “Let’s pack up and get home.”  
  
“Well, before that, let’s have those sandwiches.” Eugene suggested with a smile.  
  
Varian beamed and went to get them out. Eugene walked over and knelt next to him as he dug in his bag after setting Ruddiger down. “When we get back, we’re gonna do more training, alright?” He smiled and gently rubbed Varian’s head. “It’s gonna be tough, but most battles are. Better to fight until you win than to lay down and let yourself be dragged into wheat.”  
  
Varian chuckled. “Yeah.” He nodded. “Thanks.” He glanced at the others, who were tying up the Stabbingtons and hauling them over to Maximus and Fidella. “You know, for…being discreet and not telling them.”  
  
“Prison is hell…but, _your_ hell started before you went in.” Eugene placed his hand on his shoulder and gently squeezed it. “Least I can do is keep your secret and try to help you get through this.”  
  
“Eugene keeping secrets. That’s character development.” Varian joked. “Remember how we met?”  
  
“I do.” Eugene nodded. “I didn’t keep that one, but I _will_ keep this one. I promise that.”  
  
Varian glanced away. “Still a little _sore_ on the subject of promises so, please, don’t.”  
  
“Right.” Eugene nodded. “Sorry.”  
  
They got out the sandwiches and passed them around to start eating.  
  
\--  
  
They made their way back to Old Corona, where they parted ways. Quirin turned to Varian and held out his hand for the dagger and he silently handed it over before going back to his lab to put his backpack away.  
  
“Well, this was…fun.” Eugene said, looking at King Edmund. “Maybe we can…do it again sometime. When you come back. Keep in contact?”  
  
King Edmund smiled. “I’ll send Hamuel. Thank you, my son, for spending this time with me.”  
  
“Ah, well…” He looked at the sash, then towards where Andrew’s home was, “I’m still upset with you, but…you know. We can be friends, as I said.”  
  
“Of course.” King Edmund nodded. “Well, you should probably be taking those criminals back to prison. Be safe going back. I’ll be here another night, then set off in the morning.”  
  
“Oh, uh…so soon?” Eugene asked.  
  
“We have to find the Moonstone. Before you go, though…” King Edmund offered him his “good luck charms” bag. “Why don’t you take a better look at what’s in here?”  
  
Eugene blinked and took the bag, going to the table to start taking out what was in there. “Wait…hold on.” He breathed. “Are these…?”  
  
Varian came over to them. “What is it?”  
  
Rapunzel walked over to look over the trinkets curiously as Eugene looked them all over.  
  
“These are all things I had when I was a kid and lost.” He picked up different items. “But, how do _you_ have them?”   
  
King Edmund walked over to the table. “Hamuel has been tirelessly keeping an eye on you for me, Eugene. From trinkets to Wanted posters, he has faithfully collected pieces of your life to bring back to me.”  
  
“Dad.” Eugene looked at him. “You…you just called me Eugene.”  
  
“Well…we’re _both_ having to get used to new things.” He smiled. “You can…keep some of them again, if you want.”  
  
“Oh, no.” Eugene chuckled. “But, uh, if Varian wants any?” He looked at him.  
  
“I’m…not really a fan of toys.” Varian admitted. “Not ones like these. Thanks for the offer though. You should keep them, Your Majesty.”  
  
“Oh, could I keep one?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Go ahead, Sunshine.” Eugene smiled.  
  
Rapunzel looked over the trinkets before she picked the wind-up crow. “Is this one okay?”   
  
King Edmund smiled and nodded. “Did…did everyone else have a good time today? I mean, I know that it’s been a while, Quirin, and we didn’t fill you on what we were doing…”  
  
Quirin sighed. “I should get dinner started.” He walked off.  
  
Varian shrugged. “Yeah, that’s my dad for you. You should probably get going, before the dust wears off. I think you only have about two more hours.”  
  
“Alright.” Eugene nodded, putting everything but the toy Rapunzel claimed away and then heading for the door, leaving the bag on the table.  
  
Varian and King Edmund followed them out as Eugene and Rapunzel went to their horses. “We should hang out again!” Rapunzel said cheerfully. “This time, without the Stabbingtons being involved.”  
  
Varian chuckled. “Yeah, for sure.”  
  
“And, don’t worry, we’ll get some training in.” Eugene assured him.  
  
“Hey, you’re back!” Juniper greeted, waving from a newly-repaired fence she was working on with Andrew.  
  
“How’d it go?” Andrew asked, looking at the Stabbingtons curiously.  
  
“The trip went okay. Well, up until dark figures from Eugene’s past came and tried to kill us.” Varian shrugged.   
  
“Yeah.” Eugene chuckled. “Got a lot of those, it seems. I grew up with these guys, y’know, and Lance. They’re…kind of like family. In a way.”  
  
“And you’re going to send them to prison?” Varian asked.  
  
“Well…” Eugene looked at them. “It’s complicated.”  
  
“Well, fighters like them could be good in the fight against Cassandra.” Varian pointed out.   
  
Eugene looked at him and smiled a bit. “I’ll think about it. I mean, they’re…we’ve got history. Things we need to work out. I mean, the day I met Rapunzel, I double-crossed them to take the crown for myself!”  
  
He paused. “But, uhm…that story will have to wait. Heh. You said two hours, right?”  
  
Varian nodded. “Maybe you can tell us tomorrow.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded. “See you guys tomorrow.” He walked over and climbed onto Maximus after making sure the Stabbington brother draped over his back was secure.  
  
“See you.” Rapunzel smiled and hugged Varian and King Edmund, then walked over to Andrew. “I heard _you_ wrote the ransom letter.”  
  
He chuckled. “Well, I just wanted to help out. King Edmund looked pretty upset and Varian came over and ranted about it.”  
  
“Hey.” Varian frowned. “I didn’t ‘rant’.” He blushed.  
  
“Thank you.” Rapunzel smiled.   
  
“Come on, Blondie!” Eugene called.  
  
Rapunzel walked over and climbed onto Fidella. “Take care, everyone!”  
  
Varian waved as they headed off before he went back in with King Edmund, the man’s large arm around Varian’s shoulders.  
  
\--  
  
The next morning, Eugene and Rapunzel came to see King Edmund off. “Well, looks you’re about ready to go.” Eugene said, noticing King Edmund’s horse with full saddlebags. “Uhm…safe travels, then.”  
  
“My son, I’ve been thinking.” King Edmund pulled out another box. “Maybe… _this_ will go better with your other clothes?”  
  
Eugene blinked and took the box, opening it up to reveal a white and gold sash with the Sun of Corona on it. “White and gold? This is just like the Flynn Rider book! And this Sun on it…”  
  
“You may be my son, but I can see that you would rather see Corona as your home. So…” He shifted a bit. “Besides, you can swap them out for different outfits, see what fits with what better.”  
  
Eugene smiled and closed the box. “Thank you.”  
  
King Edmund smiled. “He likes it.” He said to himself. “And here I thought that he’d turn it away because it was a present from me, the one who sent him away as a babe.”  
  
“Yeah, you did.” Eugene nodded. “And I’m always gonna be kind of upset about it, those are twenty-four years I’ll never get back. But…if you hadn’t, I’d probably be dead. So…” He shrugged, then cleared his throat. “Anyways, safe travels.”  
  
King Edmund nodded. “Take care of yourselves. All of you.” He looked towards Varian, who was helping his father and the Saporians raise a barn. “He’s a brilliant boy. Helped me make you the sash.” He smiled. “The sun was made by a man that Quirin knows named Xavier, though.”  
  
“Xavier’s a good friend.” Rapunzel smiled. “I think he and Varian could get along…you know, once they moved past the whole…takeover thing.”  
  
King Edmund nodded. “I think so, too. Well, I better go tell them that I’m leaving.” He headed over to the barn-raising.  
  
“Hey, what happened to all the Citizens of Old Corona?” Rapunzel asked, looking around.  
  
Eugene ran after King Edmund. “Dad, wait!”  
  
King Edmund turned to him and gasped as he was suddenly hugged by the younger man. “Oh…” He smiled and wrapped his left arm around him, leaning his head into his happily.  
  
“Thank you. Really. For…for everything.” Eugene smiled and let go of him. “I just…it felt right.”  
  
“I’ll keep in contact.” His father smiled, gently placing his hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I won’t let the Moonstone hurt you.” He looked around. “Well…any more than it already _has_ , I suppose.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “Good luck with the search.”  
  
King Edmund nodded, then walked over to talk to Varian and Quirin. Eugene sighed and watched him, then looked towards the Wall of Corona.  
  
“Somewhere beyond this wall…Cassandra is running loose with the most dangerous artifact in the _world_.” Rapunzel walked up to stand next to him. “Where is she now? I’m honestly scared to think of it. There’s so many people we passed, so many places that she could be destroying as we speak, people she could be hurting out of _spite_.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “And her dad is somewhere out there, too. God, I hope he’s okay.”  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra walked up to one of the black rocks and sighed, placing her hand against it. “Come on… _move_. Why won’t you _obey_ me? I have the Moonstone!” She banged her fist on the rock, glaring at her reflection in its surface. “OBEY ME!”  
  
She stepped back and threw out her hand, focusing. “Why…won’t...you… _work_?!” She growled, then let out a yell of rage, falling to her knees with her head in her hands. “WORK, DAMN YOU!”  
  
“Cassandra…”  
  
She gasped and looked up, brushing the irritating black lock of hair out of her face as she looked around. “That voice…”  
  
She slowly stood up, looking around warily. “Was it all in my head?” She muttered, walking on. “Ugh, this stupid… _stupid_ thing…” She noticed it was starting to rain and found shelter, grumbling as she brushed the lock of black hair out of her face again. She’d tried cutting it off, but it seemed to be as indestructible as the rest of her hair now was.  
  
“Stupid hair.” She muttered, tucking the strand behind her ear. “Stupid rain…” She looked up at the sky, glaring at it. “Stupid Rapunzel. It’s _her_ fault I’m out here.” She looked at the Moonstone on her chest, then clutched a hand around it protectively. “At least _something_ good came out of enduring her whims. Now, if only I knew how to _use_ you…”  
  
To her utter frustration, her control over the power had waned after her initial outburst and she had been trying to control the rocks again ever since. At least, she noted, she didn’t need to eat anymore, or sleep. She could cover more ground than anyone in half the time.  
  
“But, if I’m going to be able to take Corona, then I need to have _full control_.” She muttered.  
  
It looked like that wasn’t going to be easy to get, though.   
  
She heard footsteps and gasped, ducking further into the cave and watching warily as Adira walked through the rain, looking around for her. She wasn’t a threat, not when Cassandra had her sword…but, she still didn’t want to be found.  
  
Not when she couldn’t control the rocks and bind the woman so she never came after her again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eugene is closer to his dad now, and the Stabbingtons are in prison.   
> Cassandra's having her own problems.
> 
> ((A/N: So, things have been kind of stressful, and this is my comfort-fic right now so I've been doing a LOT of writing in this one, I just reached the Spire writing-wise so there's a lot to post. So, yeah, comment and I'll update, I'm gonna keep writing.))


	11. The Wolf I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new danger has come to Corona, and the worst part? It could be anyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

In an effort to try to improve relations with the people of Corona and their former Enforcers, Rapunzel had arranged for the people of Corona Capital to come and help with rebuilding Old Corona, since the citizens of the village had left the Kingdom a year ago and they had no way of contacting them now.  
  
Varian stayed in his home or kept near Andrew whenever he was outside with the people, and Rapunzel made sure to be very hands-on to make sure everything was going well.   
  
“Everyone, it’s all looking _so good_!” She said as she looked around. “Old Corona is looking better than it’s _ever_ looked, and we’re all _so_ grateful for your help!”  
  
“Well, _someone_ oughta get this place fixed up, after Varian trashed it with his automatons.” One of them remarked in a snarky way.  
  
“Actually, _that_ particular building you’re working on was _mutilated_ by the _black rocks_ about _a month_ before the snowstorm!” Varian said cheerfully. “In fact, pretty much _all_ of this village was destroyed by the black rocks, and _I_ had nothing to do with it. Why do you think everyone else left? I mean, come on. The automatons were around the manor and the manor _only_.”  
  
The townsperson grumbled something and went back to work.  
  
“Whoa.” Rapunzel gasped and looked over to see two little girls coming into town. “Looks busy here.” The one with darker hair commented.  
  
“Red! Angry!” Rapunzel smiled brightly and ran over to hug them. “You’re back in Corona!”  
  
“Uhm, yeah.” Angry nodded. “Is this a bad time?”  
  
“Of course not! Oh, I need to introduce you to someone.” She led them over to Varian and Andrew, who were working on a fence together. “Varian, this is Angry and Red!”  
  
Varian looked up from his work. “Oh, the girls you mentioned in your journal.” He set down the hammer and Andrew picked it up instead, continuing the work as Varian got up. “Hi, I’m Varian.”  
  
“Wait, I think I’ve heard of you!” Angry gasped. “Didn’t you, I dunno, do some really bad stuff?”  
  
“Yeah, but I’m making amends.” He shrugged. “Which is why I’m able to be out here among the people, under the close supervision of Princess Rapunzel.”  
  
“Wait, how did _you_ hear about that?” Eugene asked, walking over to them. “Weren’t you girls out of the Kingdom at the time?”  
  
“Uh, _any_ criminal still in the biz knows about the Alchemist of Old Corona. And even though we turned over a new leaf, we still kept our ears to the ground to watch out for any trouble.” Angry raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you and Lance didn’t _know_ about that?”  
  
“Honestly…no.” Eugene admitted.  
  
“The Wanted posters went out after we escaped. You were, what, halfway across the world at the time?” Varian shrugged. “I didn’t know they’d reached outside the Kingdom, though. I mean, _I_ didn’t leave it.”  
  
“Wait, when did—” Eugene looked at him.  
  
“It’s not such a surprise, I was on the run again for about a month before we caught the King and Queen out on an outing and zapped ‘em.” Varian shrugged. “Anyways, yes, hi, I’m Varian. We’re rebuilding, wanna help?”  
  
“Sure!” Angry grinned.  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “Oh, oh! I just thought of something! What if you and Red _lived_ here in Old Corona?”  
  
“What?” Red asked quietly.  
  
“I dunno, and have _this_ psycho for a neighbor?” Angry asked, nudging Varian teasingly.  
  
“I promise to _only_ blow up your house on every third Tuesday.” Varian said with a grin. “Nah, the explosions are actually normally kept to my _own_ house, on the _very_ rare occasion they happen anymore.”  
  
Angry grinned. “Well, we _are_ getting kind of sick of life on the road. Never knowing what you’re gonna eat, or where you’re gonna stay.”  
  
“Well, we’ve got lots of houses here to fill, after everyone else packed up and left.” Varian shrugged. “You know, once we fix them all.”  
  
She laughed. “I mean, right now we’ve been staying in a _treehouse_ , so we could stay in a busted-up house and be just fine.”  
  
“Well, I think it’s—” Red started.  
  
“A total dump, just like _this_ house over here.” Angry gestured to a still-damaged house.  
  
“Pft, I doubt it’s as much of a mess as a house mutilated by sharp, indestructible rocks.” Varian chuckled. “I gotta get back to work. Grab a hammer and join the fun.” He went back to the fence and went back to helping Andrew before they finished and moved on to another area.  
  
“I think he’s looking forward to having new neighbors that weren’t part of his takeover regime.” Eugene said with a grin.  
  
“Hey, Eugene, come and help me out over here!” Lance called.  
  
Eugene smiled at the girls. “Come help us out?”  
  
“Yeah!” Angry grabbed Red’s hand and pulled her along to join them. “Hey, Lance!”  
  
“Girls!” Lance put down what he was doing and hugged them. “Ahh, the kids are back in town!”  
  
Rapunzel smiled brightly and went over to check on more of the construction.  
  
\--  
  
Around lunchtime, Rapunzel provided prepared food for everyone so they wouldn’t have to make a long trip back home before coming back to work more on the village. Angry noticed that Red wasn’t eating and groaned, setting down her food. “What’s _with_ you today? You’ve been acting _weird_ since we stepped _into_ this village.”  
  
Red looked up from fidgeting with her necklace. “It’s just…” she sighed, looking back down at the wooden leaf in her hands. “I _like_ the treehouse.”  
  
Angry groaned and got up, pulling her away from the crowd. “Not this _again_ , Red. Look, _this_ is what’s best for us.” She gestured around them. “A stable roof over our heads, neighbors, a community, Quirin even said he’d teach us how to maintain a farm! It’s a new life, and _way_ better than the one we’ve got now.”  
  
“But—But, I—" Red started.  
  
“Your Highness!” A shepherd ran up to Rapunzel, drawing their attention from their conversation. “Help! It’s my sheep! Come quick!”  
  
“Come on, let’s go see!” Angry urged Red as Quirin, Varian and Andrew also got up to investigate the matter, Eugene already getting up at Rapunzel’s side.  
  
They found the sheep apparently balancing on a fence, bunched together like a bouquet of flowers. “Uh…that’s talented.” Varian remarked.  
  
“What are they _doing_ up there?” Rapunzel asked, lowering her telescope.  
  
“Something’s got them scared.” The shepherd said anxiously.  
  
“Like what?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Whatever it is, we’ll keep an eye out for it.” Andrew assured her.  
  
“I’m not sure.” The shepherd said thoughtfully. “But, the same thing happened to my neighbor’s flock. In fact, livestock _all over_ Corona’s been acting strange.”  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ll get to the bottom of this.” Rapunzel assured him. “Andrew, do you think you and the other Saporians can go out on patrol tonight?”  
  
“Absolutely.” Andrew nodded.  
  
“I’ll help, too!” Varian nodded.  
  
“Absolutely not.” Quirin frowned. “You and these two girls are going to stay inside where you’re safe.”  
  
Varian frowned. “I’m not a _child_ , dad, I’m _sixteen_!” He said firmly. “Or did you _forget_ about that?!”  
  
“Whoa, whoa.” Eugene walked over between them. “Let’s keep the family drama behind closed doors, okay?”  
  
“…Fine.” Varian nodded, glancing away. “Sorry.”  
  
“Oh, it’s okay.” Angry assured him. “Honestly, we were having our _own_ little drama earlier, so…you know, no biggie.”  
  
Red glanced away, clutching at her necklace.  
  
“I can get Max to help you with patrol, if you want.” Rapunzel said, turning to Andrew. “Or, we could put off construction and start early?”  
  
“Considering the danger, it _might_ be a good idea to put it off.” Andrew nodded. “Let’s send everyone home, in groups. No one travels alone.”  
  
“Good idea.” Rapunzel nodded. “Hey, where’s Juniper?”  
  
“Back in the village.” Andrew shrugged. “We’re not attached at the hip.”  
  
“Let’s get back to the village.” Quirin suggested, and they nodded and headed back to tell everyone what they’d decided.  
  
Angry wasn’t going to deny that she was glad for the distraction from whatever Red was so hung up on.  
  
\--  
  
While the townsfolk returned home escorted by the Royal Guard that had come along for security, just in case, Rapunzel put Maximus to work helping the Saporians look for clues. Red noticed something in the bushes but was pulled along to the manor by Angry as Varian was taken there by his father.  
  
“You _know_ I can take care of myself!” Varian insisted as he was pushed inside with the other minors.  
  
“Being _forced_ to take care of yourself because no one else was there and _throwing yourself into danger_ when others can take care of you are two _very different things_ , Varian!” Quirin said sternly. “Now, stay here, keep them safe. I’m going out to join the search. Okay? Don’t open the door to _anyone_ you don’t recognize.”  
  
“Yeah.” Varian sighed, nodding.  
  
Quirin nodded and then headed out, closing the door behind him. Varian looked at the girls and shrugged. “Want some juice?”  
  
\--  
  
“That…is a big-ass wolf-print.” Juniper said in disbelief.  
  
“If that’s a wolf-print, then that must be one giant wolf.” Lance said nervously.  
  
“No, this is something else.” Rapunzel said, kneeling down to measure it with her hands. “These tracks aren’t side-by-side. Whatever made them walks on two feet.”  
  
“…Werewolf.” Andrew guessed.  
  
“Werewolf?” Rapunzel asked, looking up at him.  
  
“Either that, or Ruddiger on a rampage.” Eugene said quietly.  
  
They heard something and Juniper and Maximus both spurred into action, dashing after a figure in the trees that quickly fled from them. The rest of the search party chased after them.  
  
“Don’t let it get away!” Rapunzel said as they ran after it.  
  
“It’s fast!” Juniper said with a grin. “I’m excited!”  
  
“Of course, you would be.” Andrew said as they split up to try to catch the figure in a pincer strike.  
  
Rapunzel untied her hair and used it to bind their target to a tree, every limb wrapped in hair and the stranger dangling in midair.  
  
“Phew, took us for a run!” Juniper said, walking up to the struggling stranger. They thrashed and growled, trying to escape the hair binding them, as everyone else joined Juniper and Rapunzel in front of her.  
  
“Looks like they’re calming down.” Eugene said as they walked up to the stranger.   
  
Rapunzel reached out and gripped what looked like a mask attached to a cloak they were wearing and pulled it up. The woman beneath let out a feral growl and Lance let out a shriek of alarm, prompting Rapunzel to shove the mask back over her face.  
  
“Who are you?” She demanded.  
  
The woman knocked her mask off and smiled. “Captain Creighton, world-class big-game tracker, at your service.”  
  
They exchanged looks and she cleared her throat. “Do you treat _all_ Corona’s guests this way?”  
  
“Just the shady ones that sneak around in bushes.” Juniper said casually. “I think we can let her down, Raps.”  
  
Rapunzel let her down and untied her. “Let’s go back to the manor and talk.” She suggested, looking at Quirin.  
  
\--  
  
They prepared dinner for everyone still in the area and invited her to join them for it. Varian and his father swapped out the table for a bigger one and they all sat around it. The stranger seemed to have a ravenous appetite.  
  
“I’m not sure who eats more, you or Ruddiger.” Varian remarked as she chowed down on her third serving.  
  
Angry laughed.  
  
“Should we be impressed or disgusted?” Lance asked as she let out a belch, releasing bad breath. “Disgusted, it is.”  
  
“So, what brings a ‘big-game hunter’ to our humble village?” Quirin asked calmly.  
  
“Yeah, what is a ’world-class tracker’ even _doing_ in Corona?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Uh, _tracking_.” She said with a sarcastic tone.  
  
“I think the question they’re asking is ‘WHAT are you tracking’?” Varian raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Please, _pretty boy_ here figured it out.” She gestured to Andrew, who raised an eyebrow. “I’m tracking a _werewolf_.”  
  
“A werewolf?” Varian raised an eyebrow. “What, are _those_ real, too?”  
  
Andrew and Juniper laughed.  
  
“You’re going to have to just stop doubting anything, Varian, or you’re going to keep being surprised.” Clementine said casually, nudging Maisie next to her as they both chuckled.  
  
“Yes, werewolves are real.” Captain Creighton rolled her eyes and then cleared her place to pull out a large book, which she put on the table with a thump. “It’s all right here.”  
  
Andrew got up and walked over to look at it. “Fascinating.”  
  
“What we are dealing with is Maledicta Lupus, the _Wolf’s Curse_.” Captain Creighton explained. “But, for you laymen, a _werewolf_.”  
  
“A curse. So, it’s magic?” Varian asked.  
  
“More like a plague.” She nodded and opened the book. “The _Wolf’s Curse_ travels the globe…” she paused for dramatic effect, “in search of _host bodies_.” She turned the page of her book as she spoke. “It _feeds_ on untapped rage, so it’s _ideal_ host is someone who harbors a _deep-seated anger_.”  
  
Rapunzel and Eugene both awkwardly glanced towards Varian before they focused on the woman, who was too into her story to have noticed.  
  
“It inhabits his body, and causes him to turn into a _raging_ werewolf…every full moon….” the woman continued her story, “ _for the rest of his life_!” She slammed the book shut for dramatic effect. “And _here’s_ where it gets interesting. The _wolf_ has found a _new home_ , here in Corona!”  
  
“Who is it?” Lance asked worriedly.  
  
“’Who is it’? If I knew _that_ , you think I’d be wasting my time with _you_ milksops?!” Captain Creighton snapped. “The wolf can be _anybody_!” She banged her fist on the book.  
  
Half the table gasped in horror, the other half exchanged nervous glances.  
  
“But, the good news is,” Captain Creighton said casually, “I’m not just _tracking_ this thing…” She pulled a crossbow out of her cloak and slammed it onto the table. “I’m not leaving Corona until I’ve _destroyed_ it.”  
  
Rapunzel stood up and walked over to her, clearing her throat. “Let me be _clear_ , Captain,” she said, staring her down, “you will _not_ be destroying _anything_ in my Kingdom.”  
  
“And if you pose a threat to _any_ of my citizens, I will not hesitate to take you down.” Quirin promised coldly.  
  
“Oh-ho, I’m not sure _you_ two can _stop_ me.” She said with a smirk.  
  
“Well, they wouldn’t be doing it alone.” Andrew took the book and walked over to stand next to Juniper. “We take care of our own. Your services aren’t needed here, but we’ll be borrowing your book.”  
  
“Hey, give that back!” She got up.  
  
“Varian, goo.” Andrew held the book out of reach and backed away from the woman.  
  
Varian reached into his bag and tossed it at the woman, binding her to the floor.  
  
“Ugh! Let me go!” She snapped.  
  
“Oh, we will. We’re going to drop you right outside the Wall of Corona.” Rapunzel said, walking up to her. “And if you come back, we’re taking you to prison in the Capital for conspiracy to murder.”  
  
“You’re making a _huge_ mistake.” She growled.  
  
“You know what? I will _take_ that chance, if it means I keep you from murdering one of my subjects – or friends.” Rapunzel said firmly.  
  
\--  
  
Captain Creighton was drugged with sleep-dust and taken outside by Juniper, who took her outside the Wall of Corona and tied her to a tree. Then she returned and they all sat down at the table, letting that scene sink in.  
  
“Okay…so…” Rapunzel looked at Andrew. “How do we find the werewolf?”  
  
He set down the book and passed it to her. Rapunzel opened it up. “Clementine, do you have any, I dunno, detection magic for this?”  
  
“Magic has its limits, and this is a whole other brand, Princess.” Clementine shook her head. “What’s the book say?”  
  
Varian started to gather up the dirty dishes and took them to get washed. “Hey, while you guys do this… _werewolf_ thing, I’m gonna be in my lab trying to translate that scroll.” He said as he walked away.  
  
“Sounds great.” Eugene nodded.  
  
“Here.” Rapunzel stopped on a page. “It’s called ‘The Mark of the Wolf’ and, according to this book, a werewolf in human form will have a blue pawprint just like on this page somewhere on their hands, arms or face.”   
  
Varian walked past them to go to his lab, Ruddiger following behind him. Eugene eyed his fully-covered arms and hands as he walked in and shut the door behind him.  
  
“Well…we know it’s not on his _face_. But, how are we going to check his arms and hands if he _never_ takes his gloves off?” Eugene asked, looking at Andrew. “Did he ever take them off in prison?”  
  
“Only to bathe, but he wasn’t a _werewolf_ there.” Andrew frowned. “He’d have changed at some point, broken out that way.”  
  
“So, he would have only recently become its host.” Quirin said thoughtfully.  
  
Pascal studied the mark, then decided to display the paw on his claws, arms, legs and face. Rapunzel giggled at his antics, then read on. “The only other clue is that Creighton said the curse feeds on someone with a repressed rage. So…” She looked up at them. “…I guess we have to ask him to show us his arms and hands.”  
  
“Or watch what he does at night, when the moon is full.” Andrew suggested. “I mean, _I_ haven’t seen anything, but this could’ve happened to him as recently as yesterday, or even this morning.”  
  
Red fidgeted with her necklace nervously. Angry smiled and took her hand. “Don’t worry, I’m sure that, _if_ he’s a werewolf, he’s a _friendly_ one.”  
  
“I think, if he’s a werewolf, the only one that has to worry about it is Frederic.” Andrew remarked.  
  
“Right.” Eugene drummed his fingers on the table. “…Who’s going to volunteer to risk upsetting him by asking him to not only remove his gloves, but probably also his shirt?”  
  
“I’ll do it.” Andrew sighed. “Anything he has to hide beyond a Wolf’s Mark, I’ve seen it.”  
  
“But, uh…maybe we _should_ wait, though.” Rapunzel looked over at the lab. “He _did_ say he was going to work on the scroll, which requires concentration.”  
  
“If he changes form and destroys the scroll, he’ll be even _more_ upset.” Andrew got up. “I’m going in.”  
  
“Be careful.” Lance said nervously.  
  
“Especially since it’s getting dark out.” Eugene said, looking towards the window.  
  
Andrew nodded and walked over to the lab door. He knocked twice, then opened it. “Varian? Mind if I come in?”  
  
He walked in and closed the door behind him. Rapunzel looked back at the others. “Okay, so, on the off-chance it’s _not_ him, we should start looking at other possibilities.”  
  
“How about your father?” Juniper remarked.  
  
Rapunzel pursed her lips. “…Yeah, let’s…okay. Let’s put him on the list. Who else?”  
  
\--  
  
Andrew walked over to look over Varian’s shoulder. “How’s it coming along?”  
  
“Still working on it.” Varian sighed and set down his quill. “This whole werewolf thing has got me…distracted.”  
  
“Right.” Andrew nodded. “About that, there’s supposed to be a mark on the host’s body, on their arms or hands, or even their face.”  
  
“Yeah?” Varian picked up the quill again and started to work again.  
  
“Varian…we need to make sure it’s not _you_. You _are_ the ideal host.” Andrew said honestly.  
  
Varian blinked and then set down the quill. “O-Oh…right. Yeah. I guess I _am_ , huh?” He ran his gloved hand through his hair. “U-Uhm…” He looked over at the door. Andrew nodded and walked over to lock it, then closed the curtain over the window, leaving them in dim lamplight.  
  
Varian swallowed nervously and unfastened the buckles around his gloves before he started to pull them off. Andrew walked over to him and gently took his glove when he removed it, then the other, setting them on the desk as Varian unfastened the cuffs on his wrists. “How…uh…how far up…?”  
  
“Maybe just…remove the whole thing.” Andrew suggested.  
  
Varian smiled a bit. “That’s why _you’re_ doing it, huh?” He took a deep breath, then unfastened his vest and took it off, followed by everything keeping his shirt on before he unbuttoned his shirt and removed it.  
  
Andrew turned to him and reached out to gently cup his cheek, tilting his head a bit to check his face, just in case, and moving his long bangs out of the way before he nodded and moved on to checking his arms and hands, his gaze flicking over the scars on the boy’s back from his time in prison.  
  
“So, uhm…anything?” Varian asked nervously, drawing his attention back to his task.  
  
Andrew shook his head with a smile. “You’re curse-free.” He rubbed his head. “Now get your clothes on, you’re going to freeze.”  
  
“One, it’s not that cold. Two, my lab is always pretty warm. Three, this was _your_ idea.” Varian said as he pulled his shirt back on. “I’d say we should check you too, but you don’t exactly hide anything.”  
  
Andrew removed his bracelets, then shrugged. “Clean.” He put them back on.  
  
“Great. Now, shoo. I have work to do.” Varian said as he put his vest and accessories back on, finishing with his gloves.  
  
Andrew smiled and gently squeezed his shoulder before he walked out of the lab and closed the door behind him.  
  
“Well?” Rapunzel asked anxiously.  
  
“It’s not Varian.” Andrew sighed. “The search continues.”  
  
“Right…we’ve narrowed it down to…pretty much anyone else.” Rapunzel admitted.  
  
“It’s getting late.” Eugene sighed. “We’ll get back to this tomorrow, His Majesty is going to _kill_ me if you’re not back soon.”  
  
“Safe travels.” Quirin nodded as they got up.  
  
“Quirin, can the girls stay in your manor tonight?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Of course.” He nodded. “I’ll go prepare the guest room.” He said to Angry, who nodded.  
  
Rapunzel and Eugene headed out with Lance, going back to the Capital with Maximus and Fidella. Angry sighed and walked over to watch them go with a hint of a smile on her face.  
  
Red looked towards the lab, where Varian was, then walked over and opened the door, peeking inside.  
  
“I understand the necessity, but did you _really_ have to make this so difficult?” Varian muttered. “Ugh, no good. Can’t focus.” He set down his quill and ran his hands through his hair. “Stupid magic…stupid Cassandra, making this... _urgent_. I was able to concentrate better when I didn’t have the pressure of getting it done before she inevitably shows up. Oh, and now there’s a werewolf. Werewolves are _real_.”  
  
Ruddiger chittered at him and he sighed, stroking his fur. “You’re right, it has gotten really late. I’ll put this down for now and pick it up in the morning.” He got up and walked over to the door. Red gasped and backed away from it and Varian stepped out, closing the door behind him with a groan.  
  
“No luck?” Andrew asked, walking over to him.  
  
“Can’t focus.” Varian sighed. “Any idea who the werewolf might be?”  
  
“Nope.” Andrew shook his head. “Just that it’s not me or you.”  
  
“We should just check _everyone_ , get it over with.” Varian sighed heavily.  
  
“That’d be a feat.” Juniper remarked.  
  
“Yeah, I know.” Varian yawned.  
  
“Come on, I’ll tuck you in.” Andrew chuckled and led Varian along to the hallway.  
  
“Yeah, okay.” Varian rubbed at his eye. “Only ‘cause I’m too tired to tell you ‘no’.”  
  
Red turned to watch them go, tilting her head to the side slightly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is the Wolf? And can they find it before Captain Creighton does?
> 
> ((A/N: Am I the only one that was irritated that they were doing stuff in Old Corona and the woods during this episode and Varian didn't show up once? I mean, that's literally his natural habitat.))


	12. The Wolf II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for the werewolf continues, but time is running out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The moon was shining brightly overhead through the bedroom window. Varian woke up and slowly disentangled himself from Andrew’s arms, where he’d fallen asleep while talking to the man. He climbed out of bed and let out a sigh, heading out of the room.  
  
He didn’t know why he was up, but he couldn’t sleep. He stopped when he saw the manor door open and went outside, looking around. “Dad?” He called, looking around into the gloom.  
  
A shadow moved in the darkness and he gasped, looking over. “…Dad?” He called again.  
  
A figure came out of the fog and approached him with glowing, red eyes. He stepped back, his eyes widening. “You’re…not dad.” At least, he _hoped_ it wasn’t.  
  
The creature reached out and he stepped back, alarmed. Its large paw cupped his head and then he was pulled towards it. “U-Uh, okay.” He said nervously as he was pulled into its embrace. Then he was lifted up and carried off and he wasn’t sure what to do. Scream? Fight? He didn’t know who this was, and they didn’t seem to mean him any harm…at least, not for the moment.  
  
Maybe, if he cooperated, he would figure out who this was.   
  
\--  
  
She couldn’t explain it. Something about him drew her to him, like a moth to a flame – no, less violent. More like a wolf to the full moon, gentle and beautiful and so, _so_ hard to resist. She carried Varian in her arms as she went deep into the forest, taking him…where? Yes, _that_ place may work.  
  
Varian clutched at her fur as they went up to an old shack that was falling apart but would do to hide her stolen treasure. Because that was what he was, wasn’t he? Stolen treasure, so beautiful but helpless. But, she knew he was anything but helpless. He was like her, a wolf that hid beneath the guise of a sheep to blend in. The Alchemist of Old Corona, the biggest threat anyone had ever seen in _centuries_. A boy just trying to live life without others pushing him around.  
  
She understood that. She was always being pushed around, never given the chance to make her own choices without being judged or shot down. Dragged along by an eager hand that just wanted to “help”.  
  
She reached the shack and pushed open the door, carrying him in before her tail pushed it shut with a swing. She carried him to a pile of stolen treasure and set him down before curling up around him, holding him close.  
  
He had to be the most priceless of the treasures here, and she wanted to make sure he stayed. She felt his gloved hand slip into her fur and give her a gentle scratch and she let out a soft moan of happiness, nuzzling him and kicking her leg, wanting more.  
  
“Heh, you’re…friendly.” Varian said awkwardly. “But…why did you bring me here?”  
  
Couldn’t he tell? This place was full of stolen treasure. _He_ was stolen treasure. Obviously.  
  
“I…guess you can’t speak, uh, human while in this form, can you?” He asked.  
  
She could, she just didn’t _want_ to. Besides, she was enjoying seeing him rack his brain to try to figure out who she was. She nuzzled him again and he continued the scratches.  
  
She didn’t know why she felt such a pull towards him. When she first saw his Wanted poster, she hadn’t felt this way but meeting him she felt like she wanted to keep him and hide him away with her, forever. Or, at least until the night ended. In her human form, there was no way she could keep him here…  
  
Unless she used chains. Yes, she could bind him here when he fell asleep but, for now, she would keep him here in her arms.  
  
“Well, uh…this has been… _fun_ , but…you gotta take me back tomorrow, okay?” Varian yawned. “Whoever you are.”  
  
She nuzzled him again and he continued to give her scratches until his movements slowed and she felt him slump against her, lost in the trappings of sleep.  
  
She considered letting go of him just long enough to get chains…but, what if he was pretending? He was supposedly very crafty. She sighed and nuzzled him.  
  
…What was she _doing_? This was _crazy_. They had already ruled him out, so if people found her gone and him missing, they would automatically know it was her! She reluctantly decided to return him home and lifted him into her arms before heading out.  
  
Taking him inside the manor was too risky, so she took him to the manor and laid him down on the ground, feeling a bit guilty.  
  
“Varian?” She heard a voice say and fled into the darkness just as Andrew came out. “Varian!” He ran to his side and checked him over. “Varian, you okay?”  
  
“Mmn…Andrew?” He slowly woke up and looked at him.  
  
Andrew breathed a sigh of relief. “Come on, you crazy sleepwalker.” He helped him up and they went back inside.  
  
“Sorry for worrying you. I had the weirdest dream.” Varian said as they walked in.  
  
“Yeah?” Andrew prompted.  
  
“I had a dream the werewolf came here and took me away to a hidden treasure trove.” Varian chuckled a bit. “Weird, huh?”  
  
“Heh, yeah.” Andrew rubbed his head and then they closed the door.  
  
She sighed softly and found another house to hide in until the morning.  
  
\--  
  
In the morning, the search continued. Rapunzel approached her mother and told her about what had been going on and she agreed to check her father for any sign of the Wolf’s Mark, though they would avoid telling him about it. They didn’t need him to get stressed out, even though they’d ruled out Varian already.  
  
“You know,” Eugene said as they walked through the town, “it still could _be_ him.”   
  
“Hm?” Rapunzel frowned as she noticed people having arguments over little things left and right. “I wonder if the Wolf’s Curse creates an aura of animosity around where it appears.”  
  
“Rapunzel.” Eugene took her hand, getting her attention. “It’s possible that Andrew would cover for him. Maybe _I_ should check him, too.”  
  
“Varian, you mean?” She said distractedly, looking at people as she passed them.  
  
“You call these plumbagos?!” Old Lady Crowley said aggressively to a florist before throwing them on the ground.  
  
Stan and Pete seemed to be having a dispute of some kind, slapping at each others’ hands with their faces turned away from each other.  
  
Ulf the Mime seemed to be having some trouble with entertaining people and fumed at their snide critique before banging into an invisible wall and collapsing.  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded. “I mean, they were cellmates, partners, for _months_. You don’t think he'd cover for him?”  
  
“Okay, so you can go check. In the meantime…” she frowned, “I need to figure out if any of my…uhm… _subjects_ have the Wolf’s Mark.”  
  
“Gonna be a full moon tonight.”  
  
Rapunzel gasped and turned to see Captain Creighton standing near them. “When did you get out of the tree?”  
  
“Please, you think you become world-reknown by being unable to escape _rope_?” She sneered. “You people aren’t the _first_ to try to protect the monster. By the way,” she grinned, “have you _found_ them yet?”  
  
Rapunzel frowned and headed off with Eugene. “Come on.”  
  
“You better hope I don’t find them first, or all you’ll be finding is a corpse in the woods.” She said before disappearing into an alleyway.  
  
Rapunzel got onto Fidella and Eugene onto Maximus before they headed back to Old Corona.  
  
\--  
  
“Red, are you _sure_ you’re okay?” Angry asked anxiously.  
  
“I’m fine.” She assured her.  
  
Quirin sighed. “And you’re _sure_ that you didn’t see what left the door open?”  
  
“I _told_ you, I was sleepwalking. I mean, at the end of my dream I was in an old shack, not in front of the manor where Andrew found me.” Varian shook his head. “I guess I opened it myself.”  
  
“Well, you need to be careful. Little Red could’ve been hurt, we’re lucky that she just found another building instead of going back to her treehouse.” Quirin looked at her.  
  
“I said, I’m _fine_.” She said, frowning.   
  
They heard a knock at the door and everyone tensed. Andrew got up and walked over to the door. “Who is it?”  
  
“It’s us.” Rapunzel said. “Can we come in?”  
  
Andrew opened the door a bit, then nodded and let Rapunzel and Eugene inside. “What is it?”  
  
“Okay, no offense, Andrew, but I _really_ think that I should give Varian another look. Just in case.” Eugene said, looking at Varian.  
  
“That Hunter is loose again, and I think she heard us talk about it possibly being Varian.” Rapunzel admitted.  
  
“Kid, you’re okay with that, right?” Eugene looked at him.  
  
“I’m not the wolf. But, if it will ease your worries so you can find the _real_ one, I’ll let you check me out.” Varian got up and walked to the hall leading to his bedroom, Eugene following behind him.  
  
“It’s not that we don’t _trust_ you, Andrew, we just think that…” Rapunzel struggled to continue.  
  
“You think that, if he _were_ , I would cover for him and say he wasn’t.” Andrew sighed. “Yeah. I understand. But, it’s only fair that we check Eugene, too. Juniper can check you.”  
  
“Me? I don’t have it.” Rapunzel frowned.  
  
“ _Everyone_ is a suspect, Rapunzel. I don’t like how you’re fixating on Varian.” Andrew said sternly. “Even one _of these_ girls could be the wolf, or Quirin.”  
  
Rapunzel pursed her lips. “…Okay. So, we’ll check everyone.”  
  
“I can check Red.” Angry suggested. “And Red can check me.”  
  
“We’re going to actually avoid family members or close friends checking each other. For the same reason Eugene is checking Varian right now.” Andrew knelt down and smiled a bit. “Don’t worry, Juniper and Rapunzel will check you girls over. Don’t be scared, okay?”  
  
They both nodded. Andrew got up and went to go find Juniper, leaving the building.  
  
Rapunzel looked over as he left, then looked towards the hallway, feeling concerned.  
  
“What’s gonna happen if we find the wolf?” Red asked nervously.  
  
“We keep them safe from that Hunter, and hopefully help them to not attack people.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
She looked up as she heard footsteps and saw Eugene walking through the hallway to rejoin them. He looked tense, furious, his whole body was shaking. Rapunzel looked at him, confused. “…Eugene?”  
  
“He’s…uhm…there’s no Wolf’s Mark on him.” Eugene said, forcing a smile. “He’s clean.”  
  
“Well, that’s…good. But, what are you so upset about?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Oh, just…how… _generously_ our wonderful king…treated _Varian_. That’s all.” Eugene said, his fists clenching and unclenching.  
  
Varian came back out of the hallway and sighed. “ _That’s_ why Andrew insisted on it being _him_ before. Are you satisfied, Eugene?”  
  
“…Yeah.” Eugene nodded. “Sorry.”  
  
“It’s fine.” Varian nodded. “But, it’s only fair we check you too, right?”  
  
“Andrew is bringing Juniper, and then we’re all going to check each other.” Rapunzel explained.  
  
The door opened and Andrew and Juniper came in. “Alright, let’s get this party started.” Juniper said casually. “Come on, Raps, let’s get this done.” Juniper walked over and took Rapunzel’s hand, pulling her along to the hallway. “You can check me.”  
  
“Uhm, sure. But…why do you keep calling me ‘Raps’?” Rapunzel asked. “I just realized that you did that yesterday, too.”  
  
“I mean, it’s your nickname, isn’t it? I could stop?” Juniper shrugged.  
  
“Well, if you…I mean…” Rapunzel sighed. “I don’t have one for _you_ , though…”  
  
“Drew calls me ‘Juni’.” She grinned.  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Okay…Juni.”  
  
They entered a room and shut the door and then Rapunzel started to untie her dress while Juniper took off her shirt. “I admit,” Rapunzel said as she fidgeted with her dress. “I’m nervous.”  
  
“Relax.” Juniper chuckled. “We can make this fun, or you can be stressed out. I don’t imagine Eugene is going to be having fun, though. I mean…my brother’s in worse shape than Varian, and he's already pretty tense after checking _him_.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I’ve come to realize that…I… _severely_ underestimated my father’s capacity for cruelty.”  
  
Juniper sighed and walked over to her. Rapunzel was relieved to see she was wearing a strapless shirt underneath her other shirt. “Alright, Raps. Check me out.”  
  
“U-Uhm…okay.” Rapunzel nodded and started to inspect her body for the Wolf’s Mark. “Face is clear…you have _really_ good skin. Arms seem okay…wow. Muscles.”  
  
“Don’t get distracted, Princess.” Juniper teased her.  
  
“Y-You either…Princess.” Rapunzel said awkwardly.  
  
Juniper chuckled. “Andrew told you?”  
  
“Andrew told Eugene who told me. Juniper, I’m...I’m sorry about your father.” Rapunzel said softly.  
  
“You need to stop apologizing for things you had no control over. You were _kidnapped_ , Raps. I’m not gonna go crazy and _attack_ you because your kidnapping eventually led to my father being falsely-accused and killed.” Juniper smiled softly. “Finding any Wolf’s Mark?”  
  
“No…” Rapunzel moved on to the bands on Juniper’s arm and slid them off. “No sign of it. You’re clean.” She put them back on and smiled.  
  
“Your turn.” Juniper grinned.  
  
“O-Oh, right.” Rapunzel turned around awkwardly.   
  
Juniper finished untying her dress and then let it slip down her body. “You should really wear something under this.” She commented. “I suggest a shirt and shorts, like I have. Especially with all the jumping and flipping you do. In fact, have you considered just wearing pants?”  
  
Rapunzel looked at her. “I…uhm…no, I haven’t.”  
  
“Trust me, you will feel _so_ much more free when you don’t have to worry about keeping your skirt down.” She lifted her own skirt and Rapunzel realized that it had some short trousers attached underneath. “Anyways, fashion aside, let’s get you checked over.”   
  
“Right, right.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
She held her dress over her breasts as Juniper checked her over. “Anything?”  
  
“Mmm, almost done.” Juniper assured her, moving one of her hands away to check her wrists before she put it back and checked the other. “You’re clean.” She smiled. “Let’s get you dressed.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded and pulled her dress back up so Juniper could fasten it in back.  
  
“I’ll think about the pants idea.” Rapunzel nodded. “It _does_ sound appealing.”  
  
“Honestly, I’m surprised you haven’t already been, with how much you flip around. How often do you think you’ve given your boyfriend a show?” Juniper teased, and Rapunzel blinked in confusion before blushing.  
  
“Oh.” She squeaked.  
  
Juniper finished fastening her dress and they left the room together.  
  
“Alright, girls, let’s get you checked out!” Rapunzel said as she walked over to Red and Angry.   
  
“You two sure took your time.” Varian remarked. “I’m guessing you didn’t find it?”  
  
“Nope, no mark on us. C’mon, Red.” Rapunzel smiled and took her hand.  
  
Varian looked towards the window he was leaning next to. “Time is running out. It’s sunset. If it’s not one of us, then we have to go searching soon.” He pursed his lips. “Maybe…I can use myself as bait…”  
  
“What do you mean?” Juniper asked.  
  
“It wasn’t a dream, last night. At least, I don’t _think_ so. So, maybe I can get the werewolf to calm down…if it gets violent.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Let’s worry about searching the girls.” Rapunzel nodded, leading Red down the hall.  
  
“Already checked dad. Only mark on him is the one of the Brotherhood. Then again, I’m family, so you might want to check yourself.” Varian sighed.   
  
“We’ll ask Eugene to.” Juniper nodded. “Speaking of which, where _are_ Gene and Drew?” She looked around.  
  
Varian shrugged. “Making out?”  
  
Juniper stifled a laugh. “Go find them, Varian.”  
  
“And see Eugene _and_ Andrew shirtless?” Varian walked off to find them.  
  
\--  
  
“Okay, I know that this is going to upset you, but the mark shows up on the face, the arms, and on the hands. So, I need to wipe your face, okay?” Rapunzel picked up a soft cloth, slightly damp. “I’ll help you repaint the triangles after.”  
  
“Okay.” Red said, fidgeting with her necklace nervously. “Uhm…Princess Rapunzel…I should’ve been honest with you from the start.”  
  
“What is it, Red?” She asked as she started to wipe the triangles on her face.  
  
“I’ve known who the werewolf is this whole time. And…what Varian dreamed…” She glanced away, and Rapunzel gasped softly as her cleaning revealed a blue pawprint on the girl’s left cheek, “it wasn’t a dream. And I’m…I’m sorry.”  
  
“Oh, Red…” Rapunzel said softly, then pulled her close. “It’s alright.”  
  
“N-No, it’s not alright. The full moon is…it’s so _strong_ …” She stepped back. “You have to stay away from me. Keep him _away_ from me!”  
  
“Red!” Rapunzel got up as the girl fled the room.  
  
She ran out after her, but the girl was already throwing the door open and running out into the night. “Red, come back!”  
  
“What’s happened?!” Eugene asked as he, Andrew and Varian ran over to her.   
  
“It’s Red, she’s got the—she ran outside!” Rapunzel pointed outside.  
  
Varian ran out before anyone could stop him and Rapunzel followed after. She heard Angry yelling Red’s name and looked back to see her following them out of the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Red is off and running! Can Varian catch up to her before the Hunter does?


	13. The Wolf III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wolf is found, but now she's on the run! Can they find little Red before Creighton can end her life prematurely?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Varian was already well ahead of the others, using speed built up from months of avoiding swiping blades and grabbing hands. He didn’t dare to call out her name, in case the Hunter was listening. Instead, he put his goggles over his eyes and ran faster, scanning the darkness.  
  
He heard a howling sound and turned to that part of the woods, rushing through the forest that he'd been going through his entire life. Ruddiger clung to his shoulders as he ran, and he skidded to a stop when he saw a large figure standing in front of a treehouse.  
  
“Found you.” He walked up to her and reached out a hand, pulling his goggles up onto his head. “It’s going to be okay.”  
  
She looked down at him with wide, glowing eyes. He walked towards her, still reaching out a hand. She stepped back, her large paw leaving a hard print on the ground. He stepped closer again and then reached out with the other hand as well. “Trust me.” He said softly.  
  
She stared down at him, then slowly lowered a large paw to wrap around him, lifting him up again. Ruddiger hissed in alarm and Varian made a shushing sound as he was set on the werewolf’s—no, on _Red’s_ shoulder. He gently scratched the fur of her head and she let out a low growl of approval.  
  
Something whizzed through the air and Varian jumped down, yanking her with him, just as a crossbow bolt barely missed them. He knelt next to her to make sure she was alright and then nudged Ruddiger off his shoulders. “It’s going to be okay.” He took off his backpack. “I won’t get her hurt you.”  
  
“Harboring a werewolf, I suppose it should be _expected_ of a criminal.” Captain Creighton said, walking out of the shadow. “You should _both_ be put down.” She aimed her crossbow again.  
  
“Red! Varian!”  
  
A yellow rope swung out and lassoed the woman, wrapping tight. No, not rope. Hair. Rapunzel ran to join them, tugging her hair tight around the woman. Juniper ran over and kicked the crossbow away and Angry ran to her sister’s side while Andrew, Quirin and Eugene surrounded the Hunter.  
  
“Red, it’s me!” Angry cried, walking up to her. “Are you in there?!”  
  
“I don’t know if she can understand us right now.” Varian admitted. “I mean, beyond _any_ wolf would.” He looked at her. “Unless…you _can_?”  
  
She nodded, looking a bit awkward.  
  
“Can you…change back?” Angry asked.  
  
Red nodded and slowly changed back into her smaller, human form.  
  
“There you go.” Varian looked relieved.  
  
“Red, how did this _happen_?” Angry asked, kneeling in front of her.  
  
Rapunzel looked over as she held the hair taut.  
  
Red sighed. “Last night, when you decided we needed to settle down, I wanted to tell you that I _liked_ it out _here_. I wasn’t _ready_ to move, but…you wouldn’t _hear_ me. So, I went outside to get some air after you fell asleep and that’s…” she sighed, “when it found me.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “It told me it could help me be _heard_. That it could use all of my angry feelings and give me what I _want_.” She glanced away. “All I had to do was…let it.”  
  
Angry looked at her worriedly. “You should’ve _told_ me, Red.”  
  
“So…why did you _abduct_ me last night?” Varian asked.  
  
“I…don’t actually _know_.” Red admitted. “Something about you _appeals_ to the wolf, I think. I just…wanted to take you away and keep you safe forever and ever, and it’s _weird_ because I _don’t_ feel that way, you know…as _myself_.”  
  
“That’s weird.” Varian and Angry said in unison.  
  
“Well, guys,” Rapunzel said, walking closer to them. “the _important_ thing is that we found who is the wolf, and we already know that we can calm you down if we _have_ to.” She smiled at Varian.  
  
“But, what do we do about the Hunter?” Red said, looking over at her anxiously. Varian wrapped a protective arm around her, glaring at the woman.   
  
“Maybe there’s a way _out_ of this?” Angry suggested.  
  
“Maybe; but think of it this way.” Varian reasoned. “Your sister could either learn to control it, or she could get rid of it and it finds someone _else_.”  
  
Red pursed her lips. Rapunzel frowned. “Varian, _don’t_ put that kind of pressure on her.”  
  
“I’m not trying to be mean, but it’s true. She has Angry to help calm her down, and _I_ seem to be able to help with it a little for some reason. Maybe because I’m so good with Ruddiger.” He smiled at the raccoon that had climbed back onto his shoulders. “But, if she _loses_ the wolf, it could end up in _anyone_ – _your father_ , for instance. And, trust me, he doesn’t _need_ the wolf to be violent, deadly and cruel.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I _really_ need to talk to him about that. What he put you through is unacceptable. But, maybe we can just…get rid of the curse altogether?”  
  
“Princess Rapunzel,” Clementine walked up to them, “a curse can only be _fully_ destroyed by the one who _created_ it. Otherwise, a curse like _this_ can only be passed on.”  
  
“No; but look!” Rapunzel pulled out the book from her bag. “This says here that there _is_ a way to remove it! But…it has to be done on mystical ground, and on the final night of the full moon. Now, I _know_ that there _is_ mystical ground around—"  
  
“Princess.” Clementine said sharply, and Rapunzel looked at her, blinking in surprise. “A curse _cannot_ be destroyed by _anyone_ but the _creator_ of the curse. And, if you _remove_ it, you would only be passing it on. It is best for it to stay with this girl here. She seems to have a good handle on it.”  
  
“Randomly kidnapping V, aside.” Angry said teasingly.  
  
“Yeah, uh, can we maybe _not_ do that? If you want to _cuddle_ , we can do it at home.” Varian looked at Red, and she smiled sheepishly.  
  
“If we _don’t_ get rid of it, and Captain Creighton escapes and comes after her, what then?!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
Clementine raised an eyebrow and reached into her satchel, pulling out the Wand of Oblivium. “We can ensure she never comes after the girl, no problem.”  
  
Rapunzel stepped back. “You still _have_ that thing?!”  
  
“I haven’t used it since we used it on the King and Queen, but I thought it might come in handy here.” She said casually. “I got it from my house after hearing about this woman. So, do I zap or no?”  
  
Rapunzel stammered and looked over at Captain Creighton. “I…uh…”  
  
The woman was struggling to escape her hair. She got one arm free and Juniper held it behind her back tightly.  
  
“Ow, ow, ow!”  
  
“Careful, Juni.” Andrew scolded gently.  
  
“Careful? Drew, she was trying to kill Varian and Red.”  
  
“…Okay, maybe a _little_ less careful.” Andrew said, looking over at Varian. Eugene and Juniper laughed.  
  
Rapunzel turned and walked over to the woman. “Captain, your very _memory_ is at stake here. If we let you go, do you _swear_ to leave Red alone, if we make sure that she doesn’t hurt anyone?”  
  
She smirked up at her. “You think you can control that beast?”  
  
“Yes.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
She stared at her, then shrugged. “Alright, fine. But if she runs wild and attacks people _even once_ , I’m coming back.”  
  
Rapunzel frowned. “Your services are _not_ required here.”  
  
She laughed. “We’ll see about that, _Princess_. Now, why don’t you untie me, hm? And I’ll walk out of your life.”  
  
Rapunzel looked over at Red worriedly, then nodded and loosened her hair around the woman before Juniper let go and she fell forward. She got up, dusted herself off and held out her hand. “My book.”  
  
“I think we’ll be keeping that.” Andrew said before Rapunzel could reply. “It might come in handy.”  
  
“But, we’ll be happy to escort you out!” Eugene said with a grin.  
  
She laughed. “I don’t _need_ an escort. And I’ll be _watching_ , girl.” She pointed at Red. “Keep that temper in _check_.” She walked off into the woods.  
  
Red watched her go and then slumped against Varian’s arm, which was still around her.   
  
“I didn’t mean to pressure you into keeping it.” He said, and she looked up at him. “You _could_ still try to get rid of it, though I don’t know _anything_ about magic and, if _Clementine_ says that it wouldn’t work…”  
  
She looked down and clutched at her necklace. “…I want to keep it.”  
  
“Red?” Angry placed her hand on hers. “But…”  
  
“I’m just…I’m so _tired_ of everyone pushing me around! The wolf gives me strength to speak for myself!” Red insisted, getting up. “Everyone just _assumes_ what I want, how I’m feeling, and they don’t even _ask_ me!”  
  
“It’s gonna be okay, Red.” Varian said gently.  
  
“And I’m not ‘Red’.” She mumbled.  
  
“What’d you say?” Rapunzel asked, as they walked over to join them.  
  
“I’m…my _name_ isn’t ‘Red’, I don’t even…I don’t even _like_ the name ‘Red’!” The girl admitted. “I only went along with it because everyone _expected_ me to!” She clenched her fists, then gasped when she felt a gloved hand wrap around one of hers.  
  
“So, what _is_ your name, then?” Varian asked. “Trust me, I know.” He got up and walked over to stand in front of her. “It’s tempting, _so_ tempting to just let the beast run wild when you feel like others aren’t listening, like you _don’t matter_. But, take it from someone who _did_ let the beast run wild; it only makes things _worse_. If the dark—if the _wolf_ gives you strength, then _channel_ that strength, don’t let it _control_ you.”  
  
She looked up at him then sighed. “I don’t know if I _can_.”  
  
“You’re already doing a _great_ job.” Angry assured her.  
  
“If you want us to hear you, we’ll listen.” Rapunzel said, placing her hand on Red’s shoulder. “I admit, I…” She sighed. “I _wasn’t listening_ when a friend needed me before. And it caused… _so_ much pain.” She smiled sadly at Varian. “But, I _swear_ to do better this time, and from now on.”  
  
“And, I promise that _I’ll_ listen, Red. Or rather…” Angry took her hand and gently squeezed it. “Catalina.”  
  
Catalina looked up at her and smiled softly. “Kiera…”  
  
She threw her arms around her and Kiera held onto her tightly. “I love you.” Kiera said softly, holding her tighter.  
  
Varian smiled and Rapunzel walked over to hug him tightly. “What do you say we head on back home and get something warm to drink huh?” Rapunzel suggested.  
  
Catalina looked up at the treehouse. “I… _still_ don’t want to move.”  
  
Varian pulled away from Rapunzel and walked over to her. “I get it, the city can be overwhelming when you’ve been on your own for a while. But, I know _firsthand_ what being far away from your friends can allow to happen to you.” He knelt in front of the two girls. “So, how about a compromise? You can keep this treehouse as a second home, we’ll fix it up and stuff, furnish it a little, and otherwise you’ll stay in the guest room of the manor during, say, bad weather and stuff. Sound good?”  
  
The girls looked at each other and nodded. He smiled and then got up, turning to his father, who had been staying out of the way. “That’s okay…right?” He asked nervously, then gasped when he was pulled into a tight hug. “Uh…dad?”  
  
Quirin slowly knelt down and looked him in the eyes. “When did you grow up so much?” He asked sadly. “You’ve grown to be so mature…”  
  
Varian smiled a bit. “Let’s go home, dad.”  
  
Rapunzel smiled at Keira and Catalina. “So…” She looked thoughtful. “Is it okay if I call you ‘Cat’? Or would you prefer ’Lina’?”  
  
Catalina giggled. “Both are good!”  
  
“Come on, girls, let’s head back.” Eugene grinned. “I can’t _wait_ to tell Lance all about _this_ tomorrow!”  
  
They started back to Old Corona, Kiera and Catalina holding hands as they walked and smiling happily. Varian watched them go and then turned to Rapunzel. “I really think I can get through to her.”  
  
“Who?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Cass.” Varian nodded. “I think that, if _anyone_ can, I can get through to her. I mean, who better than _me_ knows about how badly the darkness can warp your mind?”  
  
Eugene sighed and hooked his arm around his shoulders. “Look, if you get the chance to _safely_ try, sure. But I _don’t_ want you to go seeking her out. Please. As your friend, hell, I’m going to pull rank and say _as your Prince_ , because if your dad is still part of the Brotherhood than you and I are both still of the Dark Kingdom, _don’t go looking for Cassandra_.”  
  
“I won’t.” Varian assured him, then chuckled. “Should I tell King Edmund that you’re using your title now?”  
  
“Ha-haaaa, don’t you dare.” Eugene raised an eyebrow and Rapunzel giggled.  
  
\--  
  
“Nnngh…come on…” Cassandra reached towards a black rock in frustration. “Why won’t you _move_?!”  
  
“You’re doing it wrong.”   
  
She scowled as she was approached by a young ghost girl in fancy clothes. “You. What are you doing _here_? I thought you disappeared with that accursed House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow.”  
  
“I’m here to help you learn to master the Moonstone’s power.” The girl said as she floated over to land next to her. “It responds to hatred and anger.” She gently cupped Cassandra’s cheek.  
  
“Well, I’ve got plenty of _that_ , so why isn’t it working?” Cassandra demanded.  
  
“Because you are _too calm_. You have let the anger inside of you become as calm as a lake, when what you want is a fury like the raging sea during a wild storm.” She took her hands in hers. “You must not be afraid to tap into your anger, and your hatred for Rapunzel and all she took from you. _Remember_ what she took from you, what she put you through all those years, just by existing.”  
  
Cassandra clenched her fist tightly with a scowl, the Moonstone sparking as her hair and eyes glowed brighter, black rocks coming out of the ground. “She…took… _everything_.”  
  
The ground around her started to shake as more and more rocks came out. “ _Everything_. And I’m going to take everything from _her_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things worked out well, but Cassandra is still out there. Can Varian get through to her?


	14. The Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the wolf situation handled, it's time for Rapunzel to finally address those scars on Varian's back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Thanks for helping us furnish the treehouse, guys.” Rapunzel said as she helped Lance unload the cart full of boxes of things.  
  
“Hey, anything we can do to help these girls feel more comfortable here.” Andrew assured her.  
  
Rapunzel smiled, then noticed Varian walking up to them. “Hey, Varian, you’re-- Varian, why are you carrying a guitar?”  
  
“Oh, well…I don’t really have time to play it anymore, so since it’s just been gathering dust in my room for…years, I figured I’d give it to them to play out here.” He shifted the guitar in his arms.  
  
“Aw, that’s sweet of you.” Rapunzel smiled. “But, I didn’t even know you played.”  
  
“I play lots of instruments. Sing, too.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“I have _never_ heard you sing. Remind me to drag you to the Snuggly Duckling for a nice round of singing and dancing.” She grinned.  
  
“Ah, well, will that be _before_ the lynching?” Varian raised an eyebrow. “They don’t like me, remember?”  
  
“Oh…right.” Rapunzel said, glancing away awkwardly.  
  
“Speaking of ‘doesn’t like him’, we should actually be going to the castle soon, Sunshine. You wanted to have them ‘talk things out’, remember?” Eugene said, walking past with a vase in his arms.  
  
“Oh, was that _today_?” Rapunzel gasped. “Lina, Kiera, I’m _sorry_ , I _completely_ forgot—”  
  
“Don’t worry about it.” Lance assured her. “We’ve got this. You three, uh, have fun with that.”  
  
“Riiiight.” Varian sighed and handed his guitar to Kiera. “Do you know how to play it?”  
  
“Uhm, no. But, I can figure it out.” She assured him.  
  
“Well, if I survive this, I’ll come back and teach you.” Varian assured her. She giggled.  
  
“Good luck!” Catalina hugged him.  
  
He smiled and rubbed her head, his gloved fingers digging into her hair a bit. She let out a contented growl in response and then blushed before shoving him back. “Just—just go!” She said, turning away.  
  
Kiera snickered and then they went back to their work.  
  
Varian walked over and climbed onto his horse with a sigh. “Here we go, Ruddiger.” The raccoon climbed up onto his shoulders and chittered a reply.  
  
“Are you _sure_ you don’t want Andrew with us?” Rapunzel asked as she climbed onto Fidella and Eugene onto Maximus.  
  
“No, this is…Andrew is great, but this is about how he treated _me_ , one of his citizens. One of the people he _swore to protect_ when he took the crown.” Varian gripped the reins. “Dad wanted to come along, but… _I_ don’t want him here for it. I think it’d be a bloodbath if he was.”  
  
“Yeah…probably.” Eugene nodded and then they urged the horses into a run, heading back through the woods to the Capital.   
  
Rapunzel wasn’t going to lie, she was nervous. Two days ago, after Eugene had seen what Varian and Andrew had been trying to hide from them, she had arranged with her mother to have the two of them _talk things out_. Varian wasn’t the _only_ one that needed to redeem himself, and she silently wished that she had _listened to him_ when he had said that he had been a terrible king, had been about to tell her what he’d done and she’d interrupted him and focused on the fact that Varian, her father’s victim, had kidnapped her mother.  
  
The ride back to the castle was silent, with none of them knowing what to say exactly about what would be coming soon. Rapunzel hadn’t seen Varian’s back herself, only been told that “it was bad”, but she knew that it spoke volumes about his treatment at the hands of her father.  
  
Her father, who she had abandoned him to. And she had been worried about what _Varian_ might do to _him_.   
  
She didn’t even _consider_ what he’d _already_ done to the poor teenager. She could recall vividly the terrifying iron masks the Royal Guard wore as they chased them down. And they had been tormenting Varian ever since a week after the storm? Where was Varian when she arrived? If she’d looked around more, would she have found him? Would he have been okay? Could she have _saved him_?  
  
Not only from her father, but from himself?  
  
Her thoughts came to an end as they approached the bridge to Corona. They slowed their pace and Varian hesitated, gripping the reins tightly. This would be the first time since reconstruction he was in the city completely undisguised. His body was trembling, an unspoken fear freezing him to the spot. Rapunzel reached over and gently placed her hand on his and he looked up at her and forced a smile before continuing forward.  
  
“Don’t worry, kid.” Eugene said as they crossed over the bridge. “They know we’re coming.”  
  
“That’s what I’m worried about.” Varian mumbled.  
  
They crossed into the city and Varian kept his head down and his shoulders hunched as they passed through the town, Eugene and Rapunzel on either side of him. People moved out of the way, shooting him dirty looks as he passed them.  
  
They approached the castle gates and were joined by guards, who kept their distance, but held their weapons tightly. Rapunzel and Eugene kept close to Varian, then they climbed down off their horses before starting up the steps into the castle.  
  
The guards followed them until they reached the throne room. Rapunzel took Varian’s hand encouragingly and then the doors were opened. She squeezed his hand reassuringly and they walked in, Varian avoiding the gaze of the guard Stan that had opened the door for them, his partner Pete at the other door as always. They walked in and then the door closed behind them.  
  
Varian took a deep breath and then raised his head, looking ahead of them as they walked on to the thrones. At Rapunzel’s insistence, this meeting would be just the three of them and her parents. Not even Nigel was allowed to go through the doors once they came inside, and she glanced over as the advisor made a hasty exit through a side door.  
  
Though, she wondered if maybe he _should_ be included. He’d surely had some hand in Varian’s trauma, at least in pushing the narrative that Varian was dangerous. She clenched her free hand into a fist at the memory of Varian begging to be let go when they were in the wheat field, trapped in a memory that only he could see.  
  
She looked at her father, who was looking away from them as they approached. When they reached the foot of the stairs leading up to the throne, however, he looked at them.  
  
“Dad, mom.” She greeted as they all curtseyed and bowed.  
  
“Rapunzel,” Queen Arianna smiled gently, “we’ve all been so busy, we haven’t had much time to talk beyond a few moments.” She turned her gaze to Varian, who looked uncomfortable. “Have you been adjusting well, Varian?”  
  
“Yes…Your Majesty.” He nodded.  
  
“That is good to hear.” She nodded. “Is this…is this a good place? If you would prefer somewhere less…open, we can have this talk somewhere else.”  
  
“No, this is fine.” He assured her.  
  
“Rise.” King Frederic said, and they all stood up. “I am not one to have such private discussions with an audience, but I know that _I_ am not the one who is being accommodated for, so let’s just get started.”  
  
“Where would you _prefer_ to have it, Your Majesty?” Varian asked coolly. “In the interrogation room? Why don’t _you_ have a turn in the chains for once?”  
  
“Varian.” Rapunzel gently scolded.  
  
Varian sighed. “…My apologies. That was out of line…and out of turn.”  
  
“Yeah, don’t make us get the gravy boat.” Eugene joked.  
  
Varian and King Frederic both looked at him blankly and Eugene cleared his throat. “Sorry. That was…inappropriate.”  
  
“Quite.” King Frederic nodded. “Rapunzel, this is your idea. Why don’t you…announce the terms of engagement?”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Alright. And, actually, Eugene, that’s a good idea.” She picked up Pascal. “Pascal, will you help me with this? Whoever is holding Pascal will be the one to talk. If you start to break one of the terms, then he’ll turn yellow. If you completely cross a line, he’ll turn red and you lose the right to talk until I hand Pascal back to you.”  
  
“Okay.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Sounds…reasonable, if a little condescending.” King Frederic remarked.  
  
“Well, you two can’t work this out by yourselves, so I have to step in. And if that’s condescending, then fine. I’m sure that you will be mature about this, though, and I won’t have to take Pascal away.”  
  
“The terms, Princess?” Varian rolled his eyes.  
  
“Okay.” She nodded. “No sassing. No hostility. No pointing fingers. No ‘but you’s. And _no storming out_. I will tie you both up in chairs with my _hair_ if I have to.”  
  
“On that note.” Eugene went and got chairs from one of the tables around the throne room and set them down. “So we’re not stuck standing.”  
  
Varian sat down and Ruddiger climbed into his lap.  
  
“Right.” Rapunzel sat down and Eugene did the same. “Eugene, you and mom are here for if things get too heated and we need a brief distraction, and also to help me keep them from killing each other.”  
  
“Right.” Eugene nodded.  
  
“Of course.” Queen Arianna nodded.  
  
“So, I will start.” Rapunzel nodded. “Dad, Varian, you two have some…unresolved tension that has been ongoing since…I think, since _before_ he kidnapped mom. Or even stole the flower. When, exactly, did your conflict start?” She passed Pascal to Varian, who took him in one hand and sighed, the other hand stroking Ruddiger’s fur.  
  
“As far as I know, the conflict started the day of the blizzard. As you know, my father and I came to the Capital to talk to the King, but he told him that we needed more land for crops instead of telling him about the rocks that had been…” He tensed and Pascal patted his hand comfortingly as Ruddiger nuzzled him. He cleared his throat. “People were _dying_ , Rapunzel. I saw people being forced to flee their homes, forced to bury their loved ones that didn’t get away in time. I compiled data about the rocks to present to the King, and then I watched my father _lie_ to him.”  
  
He looked at her. “While my father was distracted with shopping, I went back to the castle by myself and found your father in the hallway. I introduced myself and…he seemed to _know_ me. He told me so, at least, and then tried to walk past me. So, I…I blurted out about the rocks, said that we needed help. I just _couldn’t_ wait until he’d come back from… _wherever_ , this was _urgent_. He stopped, turned to me, and said that he would take my concerns under advisement.”  
  
Eugene and Rapunzel both winced and Queen Arianna raised an eyebrow at her husband. Even Pascal looked horrified.  
  
“So, I left, thinking that it would be handled. That he’d send someone to at least come and check out the situation. I went back to Old Corona with my father and he assured everyone that we had the King’s blessings, which I knew was a _lie_ , because _he_ had never told the King the problem, and _I_ never told him I approached His Majesty.” Varian pursed his lips, then looked at Rapunzel. “Am I…doing okay so far?”  
  
“You’re doing great.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
Varian sighed. “I figured that the King wouldn’t send anyone until after he ‘came back’, so I started to focus on using my alchemy to handle the problem, maybe get more data the King’s men could use, because the rocks were still growing and within a matter of months, they would reach the castle, so that…you know, was a _concern_. I thought I could help slow them down, at least. And that’s…that’s when I created the amber. It was an accident, I…I didn’t even know there _was_ a reaction, because my dad came in and started to argue with me and then he got caught in it after pushing me out of the way and all I could think to do was run to you to get help, because your hair was connected to the rocks and I thought you could save him.” He looked at her. “I mean, you _did_ , but…you couldn’t _at the time_. You didn’t know the right…spell.”  
  
He cleared his throat. “And…well, you know what happened after that. I ran to the castle for help and was…thrown out into the blizzard. Came home to find my father encased in amber. I…I swore that night to make anyone that stood in the way of me freeing my father _suffer_ for not helping me.”  
  
He sighed. “The next morning, with a clear head, I decided that I had been too hasty in my decision and went out to try to get help. But, everyone was busy with the evacuation and told me to go away and focus on packing for evacuation, like my dad was doing. I…didn’t tell them the truth. They left, and I stayed behind. So, I went to the Capital to try to find help, and found out that I was…” He clenched his teeth. “There was a rumor that I attacked you, and people…chased me out of town, threw things, threatened to bring me to a guard. No one would help, no one would listen. The rocks were coming, and no one would listen because of a false rumor. Everyone turned their backs on me.”  
  
He took a moment to compose himself, to remain calm. “A week…a week later…I woke up and looked outside to find strange men in the village, and a forest of black rocks in front of the manor. They…” He clutched at Ruddiger’s fur, his gaze distant, “they said that, by the order of the King, I was to stay in Old Corona. Thus began almost three months of the most brutal game of tag I had ever played, during which time I…I kept trying to escape Old Corona, to get help…I prayed for one of my…my _friends_ to come and find out what was going on, to save me. Eventually, my food ran out, and they let me go out into the woods…but no further than that, and they set the border with their own swords. One of them would be watching me as I gathered fruit and fish and berries and then I’d be herded back home like a little black sheep.”  
  
He looked at Pascal. “One day, a bottle was caught in the rocks I’d been collecting fish from and I hid it in my basket and studied it once in the safety of my lab. They never followed me in. It was my safe space. You know what happened from there. I studied it, found out what it was, started to make a truth serum. And I found the graphtych in my dad’s old chest, so I sent you a letter by kite and you came to get it.”  
  
He clutched at Ruddiger’s fur. “At the time, I was…one of them was…I was pinned against the back of a building, threatened into silence. Then they left, chasing you, and the next day there was a new group. They were younger, easier to trick, and _clearly_ had no idea what was going on with the King and myself. I managed to not only _escape_ them, but I captured one to use as a test subject for the truth serum. And you know the rest.” He shrugged. “I did some bad, bad things, went to prison. Heard him promising you that I’d get help and almost laughed, because there was _no way_ he intended mercy for me. And I was right.”  
  
“Careful, Varian.” Rapunzel coaxed him.   
  
“I endured a ‘trial’,” he made quotation marks with one hand, the other still holding Pascal, “and then was shoved into High Security with ruthless guards and a strange man I’d never seen before. Andrew. My sole salvation in that place. Occasionally, once a month, His Majesty would come to see me and meet with me privately in an interrogation room. He’d offer me better living conditions, in return for being…mmm, how to put this in a non-hostile way.” He rubbed his cheek. “He wanted me to use my alchemy skills for him _exclusively_ , in secret. I’d still be in chains, and as far as anyone knew I would still be in prison. But I’d have my own room, a better bed, and better food. In exchange for making things for him that I would have no say or control over. And I would only ever see _him_.”  
  
He chuckled a bit. “I refused, of course. And, uhm…he had me whipped in front of him. So—”  
  
Queen Arianna stood up. “Frederic!”  
  
“Mom!” Rapunzel stood up. “I know, _I’m_ mad too, but that’s why we’re doing this. We need to get through their sides of the story before we do _anything_.”  
  
She sat back down, sighing heavily. “Forgive my interruption, Varian.”  
  
Varian shrugged. “Anyways, while _I_ had my monthly meetings with His Majesty, Andrew was making deals with the guards to keep them from…uhm…defiling me. Offered himself in exchange, at least until I turned 18.”  
  
“What…what does that mean?” Rapunzel asked, while Eugene and Arianna went pale. King Frederic silently stared at the teenager before him as he laid out all his sins.  
  
“Yeah. Andrew and I made lots of plans to escape, and tried several times when we got taken out for games of tag in Old Corona, where if we won and got outside the wall, we’d be set free and could go follow the rocks. But, we never won. We were caught every time and dragged back into hell again and again.” Varian pursed his lips. “…Then, Juniper showed up, and killed every one of those guards but one, who had fled. We escaped under the cover of night and met the others. We hid in Old Corona while Andrew and I recovered, but people found out we escaped and came hunting us down. Wanted posters were set out. And we, the Saporians, made plans to erase the King and Queen’s memories and take over the Kingdom. And the rest…is history.” He handed Pascal back over to Rapunzel.  
  
Rapunzel took a deep breath and then released it. “Okay…so…let’s try to…keep an open mind. Dad. When did the conflict start…for _you_?” She set down Pascal, who hopped over and into the man’s lap, looking up at him.  
  
He sighed and picked up Pascal. “…Twenty-five years ago, my friend came to me from the Dark Kingdom. The day he came, there was…a hunt going on.” He closed his eyes. “When I was still a prince, a year before my father passed, there was…a law concerned Saporians. They were outlawed, and anyone that claimed to be one of them was hunted down and taken to prison or killed. As it had been since the days of Herz Der Sonne.”  
  
Rapunzel gasped, bringing her hands to her lips. Varian just clutched at Ruddiger’s fur, staring ahead at the man.  
  
“That all ended the day my friend came to Corona…and fell in love with one of two Saporian women that were being arrested. He didn’t know the situation; he just came in and rescued them just in time. A true knight. Only once I dismissed the guards to save his life did he learn the situation, and he convinced me to talk to my father about stopping that barbaric tradition. I managed to calm things down and shut it down completely when I became king the following year after he died of an illness he contracted while visiting another Kingdom. A year after that, I married my beloved Arianna. We tried many times to have a child, but could never manage it. The woman that my friend had fallen for gave us a potion that assisted with fertility, and then…twenty years ago, we were with child, but your mother was very sick. Nothing was working…” He closed his eyes. “And then…Ulla and her friend told us of the mystical Sundrop Flower. My friend, Quirin, tried to stop her, told us not to seek it out, that it would only bring misfortune and ‘invite the darkness in’, but we had no choice…we found it, we took it, and we saved your life. And then…the night you were born, you were stolen from us.”  
  
Queen Arianna pursed her lips, nodding, and King Frederic went on. “We searched tirelessly but could not find you. We started to send out lanterns in hope. And then…Quirin and his beloved Saporian lover married. And then, around sixteen years ago, there was a brutal storm. The night Varian was born.”  
  
Rapunzel counted on her fingers. “…I think that Pascal came to the tower during that storm.” She realized, not realizing she said it out loud.  
  
“All my advisors took it as an omen of darkness, and the odd streak of color in his hair even moreso. Quirin had warned me that taking the Sundrop would invite darkness in…I thought that it was you, from the moment I saw you.”  
  
“Wow.” Varian frowned.  
  
“Three years later, your mother vanished, leaving your father to grieve and to care for you alone. And then…you got into your mother’s old alchemy set. Yes, I knew of you before you introduced yourself to me in that hallway. You made quite the destructive reputation for yourself. Many times, I asked Quirin to spare himself and send you away to an orphanage, but he refused. He said it was his ‘duty’ to make sure you grew well.” King Frederic said calmly, staring Varian down. “Of course, he tried to stop you from doing alchemy, and you never listened. It’s your Saporian heritage, you were _born_ to create things that others cannot. He attempted to rein you in, and finally fell to your alchemy when you couldn’t stop disobeying him.”  
  
“Dad.” Rapunzel frowned as Pascal turned yellow in warning.  
  
“…No finger-pointing.” He sighed. “When Rapunzel told me of the black rocks that grew her hair out, I realized that you may not have been the only threat that taking the Sundrop caused. And when I learned, from your own words, that you had been messing with them, I knew I had to keep you away from my daughter from that moment on.” He closed his eyes. “You made it easier, when you came in like a madman and shook my daughter hard enough to make her wince in pain. I heard from Nigel. I told people you attacked her and ensured you could never approach her again. When you gave up and returned home, I sent the Royal Guard dressed in the clothes of a Saporian Hunter to keep you in check, break your spirit and make you give up. And still, you didn’t give up. You were stronger than I expected, the mental strength of a Brotherhood member without the discipline. And you managed to contact her, called her to you, and you gave her something that would lead to the next step of your plan.”  
  
He opened his eyes. “You were crafty, and I was getting desperate. You tricked Rapunzel into helping you steal the flower, you sent in your pet, mutated, to attack us and kidnapped my wife. And then you nearly killed my daughter, because you saw several moves ahead of us. I knew that no normal prison would be enough. I admired your mind…but you were too crafty to risk going easy on you, even a little. So, I sent you to High-Security, where the other Saporian had been resisting giving up information about his people. And I proceeded to keep trying to break you.”  
  
Varian didn’t speak up, and the others stayed silent, just as they had for Varian.  
  
“The physical damage didn’t work. The psychological damage didn’t work. You were as indestructible as those rocks you wouldn’t leave alone. So, I decided to…make _use_ of you. I offered you a better place to live, in exchange for the service your mind would provide. You refused, _rudely_ , may I add, and I had you be taught a lesson. But you still refused, month after month. You endured, clearly not a normal child. Any _normal_ child would have broken long ago, but you endured, and you plotted, and you schemed, and you recovered after being rescued and came after me.”  
  
“And didn’t _kill_ you. Though I _wanted_ to, _so badly_ , I wouldn’t do it.” Varian stood up, his fists clenched at his sides.  
  
“Varian, you’re not holding Pascal.” Rapunzel said, frowning.  
  
King Frederic held out his hand, silently offering the lizard to the teenager. Varian walked over and accepted him before stepping back, staring the man down. “I asked you many times…why you did it. Why you hurt me, why you _hunte_ d me. You never gave me an answer…and now you’re telling me it’s because of something I had _no control over_. A brutal storm the day of my birth. A strangely-colored stripe in my hair. And then my interest in the rocks. My alchemy. And my… _heritage_ I didn’t even _know I had_. _That’s_ why you tormented me for _months?_ ”  
  
King Frederic nodded silently, regret in his eyes. Varian blinked, taken aback. “I feared you. I feared what you would do to the Kingdom, to Rapunzel. You were a _danger_ , even without any mystical powers. Without magic.”  
  
“Dad, you’re—” Rapunzel stopped when Varian held up a hand.  
  
“And was I _wrong_?” King Frederic stood up, looking down at the teenager before him.  
  
Varian chuckled softly and put Pascal on the man’s shoulder before patting his chest. “Up until the storm…you had _nothing_ to fear from me. _You_ …created…the monster…I became. Your Majesty.”  
  
He stepped back. “Isn’t it ironic that _both_ sides of me were born during a brutal storm?” He turned and walked to the door. “I wonder if the _other_ one was magical, too.”  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel got up and followed him.   
  
“I’m done. I’ve had enough.” Varian looked at her. “I won’t forgive him…and I don’t expect him to forgive me. But, at least I got answers finally, without having to use a truth serum.” He sighed heavily. “Let’s focus on Cassandra.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and took his hand. “Okay.”  
  
“So…uhm…” Eugene cleared his throat. "You two look like you need to talk. Why don’t we go and you can do that.” He got up and walked over to Rapunzel and Varian.  
  
King Frederic set Pascal down and turned to his wife. “Why don’t we talk somewhere more private.”  
  
She stood up. “Yes. We have a _lot_ to talk about.”  
  
Eugene opened the door to the throne room and Rapunzel and Varian headed out, Pascal following them out before Eugene closed the door.  
  
“I can’t believe…” Rapunzel frowned. “To think…that _whole time_ …”  
  
Varian stopped short. “Did you hear the sound of breaking glass?”  
  
“Sound of _what_?” Eugene asked as Varian turned and ran back to the throne room, throwing open the doors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that could've gone worse! At least Varian seems content with what he found out.  
> Uh oh, trouble!


	15. Saporia

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is attacking the king, but their intentions may not be as terrible as they may seem.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney
> 
> ((A/N: And here you meet three of my OCs, who I have yet to draw properly but will probably do some insert art later.))

There were cloaked figures in the room, and they had the King and Queen bound. Varian pulled off his bag as he ran over, then he pulled out a ball and threw it. The people yelped as they were engulfed in a blue smoke and then they were caught in bubbles. Rapunzel untied her hair and used it to wrap around one of the bubbles with her parents, while Eugene followed the movement of the other.  
  
“Eugene, get ready to catch!” Varian pulled out a slingshot from his bag and used it to send another ball at one of the four bubbles. The one holding Arianna was struck and Eugene gasped and scrambled to catch her, falling on his butt with the Queen safe in his arms.   
  
Rapunzel pulled the bubble with her father in it down and Varian shot down the other bubbles before throwing pink balls at the falling attackers. They were bound in goo the moment they hit the floor.  
  
“What’s going on in here?!” Stan yelled as he and Pete ran in and found the King in a bubble with Rapunzel’s hair wrapped around it, the Queen in Eugene’s arms, and suspicious-looking people bound in goo on the floor. Varian walked over and used an alchemy ball on the bubble around the King, then stepped back as Rapunzel helped him safely land.  
  
“Really, uh…what _happened_ in here?” Pete asked.  
  
Rapunzel let go of her father and then started to tie her hair back up. “Just some people trying to take advantage of our meeting.”  
  
Varian walked over to Queen Arianna. “Are you alright, Your Majesty?”  
  
“Yes, Varian. Thank you.” Queen Arianna nodded.  
  
“We need to get these windows repaired and find out who these people are.” Rapunzel said, walking over to look at the masked strangers.  
  
The others came over to join her as she took off the masks with a frown. “I…have no idea who these people are.”  
  
“I do.” Varian reached down and grabbed a gold chain, pulling a golden locket out of one of their shirts. “They’re Saporian. Probably here to find out what happened to Andrew and the others, they most likely think they’re dead, or being held captive.”  
  
“Aren’t they?!” One of them spat.  
  
“No, they’re not.” Varian sighed. “With your permission, Your Majesty, I would like to take them to Old Corona.”  
  
King Frederic looked like wanted to argue it but sighed. “Fine. But, they are _your_ responsibility.”  
  
“Aren’t they _all_?” Varian asked dryly as he used an alchemy ball to free them from the goo. “Come on, I’ll take you to your leaders.”  
  
“We’ll go with.” Rapunzel walked over to them. “I’m sure you didn’t really mean any harm. I’m Princess Rapunzel of Corona. Who are you?”  
  
One of them, a red-haired woman, stood up and brushed her hair back. “General Jenna, of Saporia. This is Jared.” She nodded to the guy with her.  
  
“Yes, yes, let’s get on with this. Where is ‘Old Corona’?” The man asked impatiently.  
  
“It’s okay, they’ll handle it from here.” Queen Arianna assured the guards as Rapunzel, Eugene and Varian led them out of the building.  
  
“Varian,” Rapunzel said as they got onto their horses, their new “visitors” getting on between Eugene and Varian, “there’s…something you should know about my dad.”  
  
“Yeah?” He asked as they set off.  
  
“When my dad says that he’ll ‘take something under advisement’…” Rapunzel started, unsure how to put it.  
  
“What he _really_ means is that he wants you to shut up and go away. He did it to me, too.” Eugene finished for her. “He…never intended to send anyone.”  
  
Varian sighed. “…Oh.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded. “Sorry.”  
  
“I mean, I can’t think any _lower_ of him than I do now.” Varian shrugged.  
  
Rapunzel sighed and nodded. “That’s true. I’m _really_ not sure what to think. First Cass, now my dad…I feel like my life as I knew it is falling apart.”  
  
“The good thing is that…he kind of looked like he _regretted_ it, in retrospect.” Varian said softly. “So, he might, at least, do better in the future.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “We can only hope. Are _you_ okay, though? I mean, did you get the closure you needed?”  
  
“Oh, I’m sure my trauma is still just as bad, but at least I got answers. Also, hey, I learned more about my mom, and found out I was born during a storm and scared him from the day I was born!” Varian shrugged with a smile. “I still came back, after all that, to help him, didn’t I?”  
  
“Question: How do you know what the sound of breaking glass sounds like so well?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Eugene…I’m an alchemist. Breaking glass is my _life_.” Varian raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Heh…right.” Eugene nodded.  
  
\--  
  
They reached Old Corona and Jenna stood up behind Varian and jumped off his horse before running at Andrew and Juniper, who were facing away from them. They barely turned to look over their shoulders before she grabbed them both and slammed them to the ground under her, her cloak covering them.  
  
“No hawk! No mirror! You just lost contact with us for _months_! Last we heard you had broken out of prison and were planning to take over Corona! I am FURIOUS!” She said, looking at them angrily.  
  
“Oops.” Juniper chuckled. “Hey, Jen.”  
  
“’Hey, Jen’. Juni, I am going to kill you, bring you back to life, throw you off a cliff, catch you, then kill you again!” Jenna said, getting up and offering them her hands. They took them and she pulled them both up, hugging them tightly. “You’re _both_ idiots and I thought we’d _lost_ you both.”  
  
“Sorry.” Andrew hugged her. “Forgive us?”  
  
Varian walked over to them. “She showed up right after our meeting. Also, I found out why the King hates me so much. I’m going to go scream about it in my room and write it down.” Varian walked past him, shaking his head in disbelief.  
  
Rapunzel and Eugene walked up to them. “So…friend of yours?” She grinned.  
  
Jared walked over and Andrew’s eyes lit up before he let go of Jenna and hugged him. “Jared, it’s so good to see you! Clementine, Maisie and Kai are here, too. They’ll be so happy to see you!”  
  
“I’m surprised you didn’t bring Kline.” Juniper looked at Rapunzel. “Rapunzel, this is Jenna. She’s my best friend.” She grinned.  
  
“We both spend a lot of time in the stables, so we’ve gotten really close.” Jenna explained with a chuckle. “She’s like a little sister to me.”  
  
“Aww!” Rapunzel smiled. “So, who’s Kline?”  
  
“Kline is The Wizard. The True Seer.” Andrew explained. “He used to work with Demanitus, or so he claims. Supposedly, he’s _really_ old, but he doesn’t look it.”  
  
“Demanitus?” Rapunzel’s eyes lit up. “I’ve met him!”  
  
“How?” They asked.  
  
“Well, it’s a bit of a long story.” Rapunzel admitted. “Maybe we should wait for Varian before I tell you guys.”  
  
“Okay.” Andrew shrugged. “So, how did the meeting go?”  
  
Rapunzel cleared her throat. “Uhm…I…learned a lot more about my dad and Varian than I ever have. A lot of…stuff was said. But…Varian seemed…satisfied at the end.” She shrugged.  
  
“That’s good.” Andrew nodded. “Maybe he can finally start to heal.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “How did the furnishing and stuff go?”  
  
“The girls seem happy with the place. Lance is staying with them for now.” Andrew assured him. “Why don’t we all go in and have something to drink? I think Varian could use one.”  
  
“ _I_ think he could use something he’s too young for.” Eugene admitted.  
  
Andrew laughed. “Yeah, probably.”  
  
“So, what’s going on here?” Jenna asked, looking around. “Why are you still in Corona?”  
  
“Redemption, and an attempt at making peace.” Andrew explained. “I’ll explain everything inside.”  
  
“You better. And then we’re contacting the rest because, Andrew, you have _got_ to stop disappearing. We haven’t seen you for _years_.” Jenna poked his chest.  
  
Andrew shrugged. “Sorry.”  
  
They headed inside and Rapunzel went to go find Varian, guessing he needed some company. She found him in his bedroom, curled up on his side with his head under his pillow and Ruddiger curled up against his chest. Rapunzel sighed and walked over, closing the door behind her. “Varian?”  
  
He slowly moved the pillow. “…Hey.”  
  
She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed. “You know…if it wasn’t for your mother’s help, I might not be here. So…I’m grateful to her. Both for helping bring me into this world…and for bringing _you_ into it, so we could be friends.” She smiled. “Even if I’ve been a _terrible_ one up until recently.”  
  
He sighed and rolled onto his back. “Thanks for arranging that. I _expected_ to be upset in the end, but it was good to know _why_ he did it all.” He tugged on the streak of teal in his hair. “…’Omen of darkness’, huh…”  
  
Rapunzel frowned. “Don’t listen to what he said, you are _not_ an omen of darkness.” She scooted closer and took his hand in hers. “You’re my good friend and have faced so much that you should’ve never had to, through no fault of yours. My father was terrible, and I hope that he's prepared to make amends. That is, if he _ever_ wants my forgiveness. I think mom will force him to do it, too.”  
  
Varian chuckled. “Sure, okay.” He sighed, closing his eyes. “I’m kind of tired. Can we talk later?”   
  
She nodded and got up, heading out of the room. She stopped at the door and looked back at him, watching as he curled up on his side again, before she walked over and pulled the blanket over him. “Sleep well.”  
  
“Mm.” He nodded and she headed out, closing the door shut behind her.   
  
\--  
  
“You know, I’ve been thinking.” Juniper said thoughtfully as they all sat together. “Since his family seems in a talking mood, why don’t we talk to him about our _own_ grievances?”  
  
“That can wait until Cassie is stopped.” Andrew shook his head. “We need to get his trust before we can make any suggestions that would uproot their whole culture.”  
  
Juniper sighed. “Fine. Maybe we could ask him about any…I dunno, heirlooms that might’ve been brought here, though? Maybe at least something of General Shampanier’s…”  
  
“I can ask.” Rapunzel volunteered. “I need to head back anyway and talk to my parents. Hopefully, by this time, they’ve…uhm…finished their talk.”  
  
“My guess is he’s sleeping in his study tonight.” Eugene remarked. “She was…uhm…pretty mad.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Hey, uh, I’ve been wondering something, Andrew.”   
  
“Ask away.” Andrew shrugged.  
  
“Back when we were, you know, enemies, I overheard you saying, ‘we can’t kill the Sundrop’. What was _that_ about?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Oh, well…” Andrew reached out a hand and Ruddiger hopped into his lap so he could pet him. “According to legends, our ancestors used to guard the Sundrop, much like the Moonstone was guarded by the Brotherhood. There was a temple and everything.” He sighed. “The temple used to stand on the cliff where the monument is now, with a bridge connecting it to the rest of Saporia.”  
  
“Wait, _that_ area was _Saporia_?” Rapunzel asked, her eyes widening.  
  
“What happened to it?”  
  
They looked over to see Varian had come back.  
  
“Varian, I thought you were asleep.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
He walked over and sat with them with a shrug. “Couldn’t sleep. What happened to Saporia, really?”  
  
Andrew sighed and moved his hand off of Ruddiger’s back so he could climb into Varian’s lap, instead. “The war happened.” He said, looking at them. “We had been at peace for so long, our wonderous Kingdom of science and magic combined and their beautiful island and lively culture. We lived so close by each other and traded back and forth. Demanitus decided he liked the island and moved there—”  
  
“Demantius was Saporian?!” Eugene cut in.  
  
“Yes.” Andrew said, then went on. “But, our peace couldn’t last. One day…Corona was visited by these… _people_. There’s a mural about it, back in the—at home.” Rapunzel couldn’t help but notice that he was deliberately avoiding talking about any details concerning their hideaway. “Disciples of Zhan Tiri arrived and then left, and then the war began.”  
  
“Wait, Disciples of Zhan Tiri?” Rapunzel stood up. “What do you mean?! Like—like Sugracha and Tromus?!”  
  
“Zhan Tiri had many followers, I don’t remember for sure right now. However, even if the Disciples of Zhan Tiri inspired Corona to start the war, it doesn’t excuse what happened after.” Andrew shook his head.  
  
“The hunts.” Varian realized. “Like the one that dad saved my mother from.” He looked at the man, who had been quietly listening to their conversation. “King Frederic told me. He said that Saporians used to be hunted, until you came and convinced him talk to his father, because you fell for my mother.”  
  
“The previous King was even worse a man than Frederic.” Quirin admitted, standing by the stove. “The hunts did not officially stop until he passed away and Frederic became King, but Frederic put Ulla and Donella under his protection and I lived with them to keep them safe. I fell in love with her during that time, it wasn’t a…’love at first sight’ thing.”  
  
“Wait, Ulla and Donella?” Juniper asked. “Which one is your mom?”  
  
“The redhead.” Andrew gestured to the portrait. Juniper looked over at it, as if she hadn’t seen it before.  
  
“Oh.” She nodded. “Right. Okay. Wow.”  
  
“What happened to her?” Eugene asked.  
  
Varian sighed. “She…disappeared when I was three years old. Left on a trip and…never came back.”  
  
“Ulla and Donella went on some trip related to _alchemy_.” Quirin said, drawing their attention to him again. He was tense, his fist clenched on the counter he was leaning against. “A year later, Donella came back alone, gave us Ulla’s pack, said ‘I’m sorry’ and left.” He pushed away from the counter. “With no answers and a son to care for, I pushed the memories away and didn’t speak of either of them again. And I _had_ been keeping that up until _today_ , when, apparently, _Frederic_ mentioned them.” He walked out of the building and slammed the door, making everyone but Varian wince. He just gave a dejected sigh, used to it.  
  
“Yeah…” He nodded. “He _really_ didn’t like when I got into alchemy, but it was the only thing I had left of my mom. Wearing her gloves, using her old equipment, reading her old books…I could feel like she was with me. But he never used her name, all these years.”  
  
“Oh, Varian…” Eugene sighed. “I guess…you were hoping he’d open to you during that trip, huh?”  
  
“Well, it was mostly for you and your dad.” Varian admitted, then went on with a bitter tremor in his voice. “There’s a difference between ‘I haven’t seen my son since he was a child and I want to get close to him’ and ‘I’ve been pushing my son away despite living with him and I want nothing to do with him or his interests, but he wants to _bond_ with me so I’m putting up with it’.” He clenched his fists. “In an ideal fantasy world, we would’ve patched things up by now and became closer, but this _isn’t_ an ideal fantasy world, and he’s still the same way he’s always been. Cold, distant, and _still_ trying to hide things from me despite what secrets have done to our family in the past.”  
  
He stood up. “Yes, he’s less… _upset_ about the alchemy, and even supports me, but he doesn’t actually try to get to _know_ me! He’s still treating me like I’m his subordinate, not his son! Yes, he _says_ he loves me and is proud of me, but actions speak louder than words and you _don’t_ just change the way you are overnight! I don’t think he was _ever_ ready to be a parent when he had me, and then mom just _had_ to go off and DIE!” He clutched at his head, tears slipping down his cheeks. “And we were left to pick up the pieces…alone.”  
  
Andrew and Eugene both got up and went to him, wrapping their arms around him gently, giving him the support he needed at this time. Rapunzel sighed, looking out a window towards the castle. She still needed to talk to her own father about all that had been revealed today. He couldn’t even imagine the anguish Varian was going through. From the moment he was born, her father had hated him, feared him. Growing up, he’d had no one but a mother that disappeared, a father who couldn’t seem to show affection properly, and a community that despised him. And still, he tried _so_ hard to get people to like him, to see him as more than a burden.  
  
And here _she_ was getting upset over _one or two people_ deciding they hated her. She couldn’t _bear_ the thought of living in _his_ shoes. They were tighter than most shoes, constricting and uncomfortable with a texture inside that hurt his feet. And yet, he walked in them with his head held high, determined to one day make the shoes hurt less even as they made his feet bleed.  
  
This poor teenager had endured extensive abuse, prejudice, cruelty, and walked with shackles on his hands and feet. He had become the monster they all claimed he was and walked out of the darkness clutching at her hand as if his life depended on it. She remembered too well the look in his eyes when he said that he wanted to clean up his own mess. At that moment, he didn’t care if he lived or died, as long as people would know it was _him_ that stopped it, that he was able to show people that he was no longer the monster.  
  
Underneath all the sarcasm and sass and bitter comments was a child that just wanted to be loved and had only received kicks that sent him sprawling on the pavement to endure more abuse with a broken smile and kept getting up to endure more.  
  
She got up and walked over to join the hug, holding Varian close. The two men adjusted their position to let her in and Varian sobbed softly between them silently, tears slipping down his cheeks as his body trembled. His knees buckled and they lowered around him as he dropped to his knees, as if to protect him from the world.  
  
They stayed that way until he finally calmed down and cleared his throat awkwardly. Andrew moved away first, then Eugene, and Rapunzel held him for a bit longer before letting go and offering him a hand up. He took it, wiping at his eyes with the other one as he stood up.  
  
“Uhm…thanks.” He said softly.  
  
“No problem.” Andrew smiled. “And, don’t worry, your dad will come around.”  
  
Varian smiled sadly. “Hope so.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian's had it rough.


	16. Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel takes an unexpected trip and tries to make a difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel paced in her bedroom, sighing heavily. Varian seemed to be content to just know _why_ her father did what he did, but Rapunzel wanted him to actually _make amends_ for it. She cared about both of them too much to just leave things as they were, but what could she do? She couldn’t even patch up her _own_ broken relationship, how could she even _start_ to make things better between Varian and her father?  
  
She heard a knock at her door and looked over. “Uhm, yes?”  
  
The door opened and she gasped, seeing her father stepping inside. “Dad.” She greeted, stopping her pacing.  
  
He walked over to her. “…Rapunzel. I imagine you are…disgusted with me. Arianna is very upset, told me to sleep in my office for the next…month.” He gave a helpless shrug, then sighed and walked past her to stand on her balcony.  
  
Rapunzel walked over to join him, recalling when she had come to his room to speak to him after her mother had been taken by Varian a year ago. “Dad…what was my grandfather like?”  
  
His expression was grim, and he looked out towards the horizon, towards Old Corona. “You are lucky to have never known him. He was cruel and would have had Varian locked up long before you were sent that kite. You would have never known what happened to your young friend, and he’d have been locked away underground…forever.”  
  
“So…” Rapunzel sat on the railing. “Why didn’t _you_ do that? Why did you give him a chance to contact me, if you feared him so much?”  
  
“Because I…I felt guilty. I had to keep up the lies to protect the people, but this was my friend’s son. The son of the woman that saved your life. I couldn’t…” He knelt down next to her. “Rapunzel, I wronged him, so much. I wronged everyone, because I was too ashamed of ignoring Quirin’s warnings and taking the Sundrop Flower, of not guarding the monument better, of letting things get so far. _I_ was the cause of the Kingdom’s misery, but I couldn’t admit it. And Varian…he’d already gained such a reputation, he was…an easy scapegoat, especially once his father was trapped in the amber.”  
  
He hung his head, leaning against the railing. “But, I _never_ should have done that to him. And he had every right to kill me, but he wouldn’t do it. He had me at his mercy, he could have easily gotten rid of me, but he didn’t. He instead installed himself as my advisor and…was actually a really good one. This may surprise you, but he might be a good option for Nigel’s successor, for when you are Queen.”  
  
Rapunzel smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind.”  
  
“He kept the Saporians from being too harsh on the people, he kept up trade agreements, he could’ve destroyed Corona in several different ways, let the Saporians have the run of the place more than they did, but he didn’t. And Andrew…for whatever reason, the man listened to him. They grew very close in prison, relying on each other to be strong. I was bitter and spiteful and cruel and resorted to my father’s methods to try to…to break Varian, but _still_ he wouldn’t break. He has his mother’s wit and his father’s mental fortitude and a mind the likes of which has never been seen since Lord Demanitus walked among us.” King Frederic closed his eyes in shame. “And I tried to ruin him. I tried to _break_ him. He will be a great ally to you, Rapunzel. I only hope I can one day make up for all that I have done to him.”  
  
She looked towards the horizon, then smiled a bit, looking at him. “Do you…want to stay the night here? Might be more comfortable than your office.”  
  
“I shouldn’t.” He stood up. “A father shouldn’t share a bed with his daughter.”  
  
“Varian and Andrew share a bed all the time, there’s nothing wrong with it.” Rapunzel got up. “And the bed is plenty big enough.”  
  
“No, no. I need to accept Arianna’s punishment for me with grace and sleep in my office.” He headed for the door. “Good talk, though.”  
  
Rapunzel walked over to him. “…For what it’s worth…I think, in time, Varian would be willing to forgive you.”  
  
He smiled a bit. “Do you think so?”  
  
She nodded. “I only hope I’ll have the same luck with Cass.” She sighed, looking towards the window.  
  
“Rapunzel…” He pulled her close and gently tilted her chin up to look at him. “Rapunzel, my darling girl, you have done _nothing_ to be forgiven for. You didn’t _choose_ to be kidnapped and for that woman to abandon Cassandra. And we did what we could, but it’s selfish and deranged of her to assume that we would _ever_ take her as our daughter instead of you. I would sooner take in Varian as a son.” He said firmly, then paused. “Don’t tell him that. He would laugh.”  
  
“I won’t.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
He smiled and then rubbed her head before he went to open the door. “Well…I’m off to my office. Good night, Rapunzel.”  
  
“Hey, dad?” Rapunzel walked over to him, stopping him from leaving yet. “Do you think…if she had a friend back then, she might not be the way she is now?”  
  
“I think that she had plenty of opportunity to make friends. It was her own choices that pushed the other children away.” He walked out. “Good night, Rapunzel.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and nodded. “Good night.”  
  
She walked over and sat on the balcony, looking out at the night sky. “Oh, Cassandra…”  
  
\--  
  
With the morning came her Princess duties. Rapunzel met up with Eugene and Lance in the hall and they set off down it together. “Alright, Eugene,” she said with a smile, “agenda me.”  
  
As part of her preparing to be Queen, just in case of anything happening to her parents, Rapunzel had taken on a series of tasks related to the job, which she had asked the two of them to assist her with. She asked Varian if he wanted to help, but he just held up the scroll she asked him to translate, asked her in a dead-pan voice if she wanted it translated or not, and shooed her out of his lab.  
  
“Okie dokie.” Eugene said, opening a scroll with today’s agenda on it. “We’re gonna start off with what promises to be _tons_ of fun, the semi-annual wheat-crop report.”  
  
“Ah, as if we haven’t had enough of wheat to last us a year.” Rapunzel said teasingly.  
  
“Heh, yeah.” Eugene nodded.  
  
“And that’s already reviewed.” She assured him, handing him a few sheets of paper. “And I know you were kidding but, believe it or not, it _was_ fun.” She said playfully.  
  
“Hah, of course it was. Next, you’ve got to approve the design of the castle’s new footbridge.” Eugene said, looking back at his scroll.  
  
“What’s wrong with the one we have?” Lance asked.  
  
“I did that before breakfast. In fact, while I was at it, I designed a few _more_ footbridges.” She pulled scrolled out of her satchel.  
  
“Heh, you’re completely on the ball, sweetheart.” He kissed her cheek.  
  
“I’m used to getting a lot done by 7:15 in the morning.” She reminded him.   
  
“What about breakfast?” Lance asked with an amused smile.  
  
“Breakfast? I eat motivation for breakfast!” Rapunzel said, then caught a snack Pascal snagged for her from a passing tray being carried by a maid. “Well, and cherry croissants.” She took a bite of it. “Thanks, Pascal!”  
  
Eugene chuckled. “You know, I gotta say, Sunshine, even _I_ —” He was cut off by bumping into Cassandra’s old dummy, with his face painted on the “head” as a gift Rapunzel did for Cassandra before, back when they first met Andrew.  
  
Ah, the memories.  
  
“Cass’ sparring dummy?” Rapunzel asked, confused.  
  
“Oh, that’s rich. Cass isn’t even here, and she _still_ finds a way to annoy me.” Eugene rolled his eyes.  
  
Rapunzel frowned. “Why is this in the hallway?” She looked past it and saw Old Lady Crowley wheeling out a cart from Cassandra’s old room with her things. “Mrs. Crowley, what are you doing with Cassandra’s things?” She asked, walking over to her.  
  
“Meh. She’s gone, so now it’s junk.” Old Lady Crowley shrugged.  
  
“I don’t think so. Put it all back, right now. Until I authorize it, _nothing_ leaves that room!” She said firmly. “Cassandra may be lost, and confused, but if there’s even a _chance_ that we can get through to her and talk her out of attacking Corona, then _I’m_ not giving up on it.”  
  
She rolled her eyes. “Sure, while I’m at it, are there any _beds_ you’d like me to unmake, or trash that needs to be brought back in, Your Highness?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “No, no. I guess I’ll just put it all back myself.”  
  
“Help yourself.” She handed Rapunzel Cassandra’s old Royal Guard helmet. “I’m on my break. The rest of her stuff is in the storage vault.” She walked off.  
  
Rapunzel fumed. “ _Who_ authorized this?” She grumbled, starting to take the stuff in the hallway back into the room.  
  
Eugene walked over to her. “You think there’s still a chance she’ll give up and stop her…uh…ambition?”  
  
“Help me get this all back inside.” Rapunzel said, and they helped her do so. Then they set off for the storage vault together.   
  
“I mean, you seemed pretty set on ‘she’s gone, ‘she’s a threat’ not too long ago.” Eugene went on.  
  
“And the hunter thought that Catalina was too far gone, and we thought that Varian was too far gone, and that the Saporians were evil and dangerous. We’ve been proven wrong before.” Rapunzel started to dig around the storage vault. “And I’d be happy to be proven wrong again. Cassandra is my friend…or _was_ , at least. I want to get that back.”  
  
Eugene sighed. “Rapunzel…”  
  
“Dad said that Cassandra didn’t have friends because of her own actions. Maybe people just gave up on her too soon. If Varian is willing to hold out hope she can be talked out of it, then I can’t give up hope, either!” She tossed stuff out of the way. “As long as Varian has faith in her…so do I.”  
  
Eugene and Lance exchanged glances and then both shrugged. “Okay, Sunshine.”  
  
“Here we go!” She opened a chest. “Here’s her shield…her mace…her lucky halberd head…oh, here's the necklace Varian made her!” She smiled, taking it out and admiring it. “He really… _really_ liked her, didn’t he? Oh, Eugene, you should’ve _seen_ him that day. He was so determined to impress, so happy to help just for _one_ little favor…” She paused. “…A favor that Cassandra…never did.” She sighed and held the necklace close. “Maybe…maybe she’s _always_ been this way. I wish I knew her when she was a child, I wish I could’ve been there to teach her how to be a good friend, to open up and be… _happy_ with people.”  
  
“To be less of a viper?” Eugene remarked.  
  
“Eugene, come on. No matter what she is now, she was our _friend_. You and her got along really well on the trip.” She turned to him.  
  
“Yeah, especially after the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow. Oh, _wait_ , that’s when she started to scheme to _betray_ us.” Eugene raised an eyebrow.  
  
She sighed and looked back at the necklace. “I wonder what she was _like_ as a child…if only I knew her _sooner_ …”  
  
Eugene sighed. “Sweetheart…you can’t change the past.”  
  
She put the necklace back in the box and set it on a cart, which accidentally sent goblets sitting on the cart flying. “Oh no!” She ran after it, the cart being jostled as they ran to get the goblets. A strange pink and blue hourglass fell into the box without their notice.  
  
“I know we can’t change the past.” She got up from picking up the goblets and handed them to him before going to pick up the box. “But, it’s nice to dream.” She walked out to the hallway. “I’m going to go…put these back in her room.”  
  
“Yeah…you do that.” Eugene sighed.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel sighed as she took things out of the box and put them away in her wardrobe. She paused when she pulled out a framed picture. “Oh, Pascal, I remember painting this…”  
  
He let out a sad squeak on her shoulder.  
  
“All these things have their own story.” She put it back in, then paused. “Huh.” She picked up an hourglass. “I don’t remember her owning this.” She frowned and carried it out of the room with her. “Looks kind of magical…maybe a Saporian artifact?” She guessed, walking down the hall.  
  
She was so focused on the hourglass that she didn’t notice someone walking into her until they collided. She let out a yelp as she fell, the hourglass shaking as she did, and then she saw black.  
  
\--  
  
“Ohh…” She groaned and slowly opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
“Excuse me, little girl, are you lost?” A guard asked, walking up to her. Rapunzel blinked and looked at him with confusion.  
  
“’Little girl’?” She asked, confused.  
  
“Well, I don’t know your name.” He chuckled. “Here, let me help you up.” He offered her a hand. Rapunzel took his hand and then gasped, seeing her hand was much smaller. “Huh?!”  
  
“Are you alright?” He asked with concern.  
  
She slowly got up and, noticing a lack of weight on her shoulders, looked back to see her hair was…different. She brought a lock of brown hair forward and then looked up at the man with confusion.  
  
“Come on, let’s go find your parents.” He suggested.   
  
She took his hand, feeling a bit dazed, and let him lead her out of the hallway and to the main lobby of the castle. “There we go.” He smiled. “I’m sure your parents are around here somewhere.”  
  
He patted her head and then walked off. Rapunzel frowned, then gasped when she realized that both Pascal and the hourglass were gone. “Uhm…” She tugged at her skirt awkwardly and looked around for anyone she recognized.  
  
The front doors opened and she gasped, seeing a man being hauled into the castle in chains. “I didn’t do it! I have nothing to do with it!” The man kept insisting. “All I did was sell an old lady a horse back then!”  
  
“Save it for the court!” One of the guards snapped.  
  
Rapunzel watched them go, then turned and walked outside, looking around.  
  
“Hyah! Hah! Yah!”  
  
She blinked and walked over to watch a young girl practicing her sword-fighting. She gasped and walked over to watch closer. ‘Cassandra.’ She thought.  
  
She looked to be barely in her teens, and her long hair was tied back into a neat braid. She was dressed in boy’s clothes and held a little sword in her gloved hand.  
  
“Cassandra!” She heard a voice call and looked up to see the Captain walking over to her. “Cassandra, I’m going out on patrol. I’ll see you later.”  
  
“Take me with you!” She insisted.  
  
He hesitated. “You know what? Not this time, but I do need you to do me a favor. Xavier’s made some new horseshoes for us; can you go and collect the order?”  
  
She sighed and sheathed her sword. “Yes, sir...” She turned around and finally noticed Rapunzel. “Uhm…who are you?”  
  
“Oh.” Rapunzel jolted in surprise. “U-Uhm, I’m…” She paused, thinking of a name. “Rose. I’m Rose.”  
  
“Huh. Well, where are your parents, Rose?” Cassandra asked.  
  
Rapunzel shrugged helplessly.  
  
The Captain looked thoughtful. “Why don’t you take Rose to find her parents, Cassandra? You know that my men are far too busy to do it ourselves, and it’d be a good task for you as a future member of the Royal Guard, don’t you think?”  
  
Cassandra’s eyes lit up. “Yeah! Okay, I’ll go find her parents with her while I’m going to Xavier’s.”  
  
“Good girl.” The Captain smiled and then walked off to the stables. “Evangeline, let’s saddle up!”  
  
“Fidella!” Cassandra headed over to the stables with Rapunzel following her.  
  
They stopped and Rapunzel let out a soft gasp when she saw a young Maximus nudging an apple to a young Fidella. “Aww!”  
  
“Alright, girl, enough flirting.” Cassandra walked over to Fidella. “I’ve got a mission. Let’s saddle up. Maximus, you helping the Royal Guard with your mother today?”  
  
Maximus let out an excited whinny and earned a nuzzle from the gorgeous mare the Captain was preparing.  
  
“Good luck.” Cassandra walked over and cupped his muzzle in her hands. “Wish I was going with you.” She said softly.  
  
He nuzzled her and then she stepped back and watched as he followed his mother out of the stables. She sighed and finished saddling Fidella, then turned to Rapunzel. “Come on, Rose. I’ll help you up.”  
  
Rapunzel walked over to her and Cassandra lifted her up to help her onto the filly before she climbed up behind her and then they rode off together.  
  
“So, we’re going to Xavier’s place first.” She said as she took them down that road. Rapunzel looked around, noticing how things seemed a lot less…cheerful. People looked nervous around the Royal Guard, there weren’t decorations all over the place, and the mural of her as a baby with her parents was being repainted so it looked like new.  
  
Most noticeable of all was the lack of anyone even vaguely unsavory on the streets. She looked around and couldn’t help but notice the wanted posters all over the place.  
  
“Here we are.” Cassandra said when they got to Xavier’s forge. She got down and helped Rapunzel off, then went to open the doors. “Xavier!” She called as she stepped inside.  
  
The place was empty, but there was a book sitting open with a quill and inkwell next to it. Rapunzel walked over to look at it and tilted her head curiously at the writings on paper next to the book.  
  
“Xavier?” Cassandra called again, then sighed. “Guess he’s not here yet. We’ll have to wait.” She threw her hands up in annoyance and walked over to look over his wares.  
  
It looked like this was someone’s schoolwork, Rapunzel considered, and she read over the notes to try to determine whose it might be.   
  
They heard the doors open and Rapunzel looked up as Cassandra said, “Ah, finally. Xavier, I’m here for the horseshoes order.”  
  
“Ah, of course. Good morning, Cassandra.” The man said pleasantly.   
  
Rapunzel stared at him, or rather, the one with him. Varian, who couldn’t be much older than four years old, was standing with the man holding a lollipop looking absolutely miserable. Xavier nudged him encouragingly and he walked over to climb into the chair Rapunzel had been leaning on to read, apparently, Varian’s schoolwork.  
  
“Sorry for the trouble.” Cassandra said as Xavier went to get the ordered items.  
  
“Not at all. I apologize for not being present when you arrived. Young Varian needed a break from his studies, so I took him to Monty’s for a treat.” Xavier said calmly as he handed her the box.   
  
Cassandra accepted it. “Thanks. Come on, Rose.” She called.  
  
“Oh, uhm…” Rapunzel hesitated. “Do we have to leave already?” She looked back at Varian, who was writing with one hand while sucking on his lollipop, held in the other.  
  
Xavier looked at her, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Cassandra, I hate to trouble you, but I have more work to do and his father is very busy and can’t pick him up right now. Would you mind taking Varian out with you for a little while?”  
  
Cassandra looked at him, then sighed heavily. “…Yeah, okay. Fine.”  
  
“Really?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Come on, kid.” Cassandra went to the door. “I guess we’ll have to borrow one of the other fillies or colts, Fidella can’t carry three. You want me to take him home, right?”  
  
“Actually, I just want you to…” Xavier sighed. “Young Varian’s going through a hard time. He needs some time away from adults. Please, Cassandra.”  
  
Cassandra eyed the kid with a weary look. “Sure, why not. Maybe I’ll find Rose’s parents in the process.”  
  
“Varian.” Xavier prompted.  
  
The young boy put his quill in the inkwell, closed his book and got off the chair to walk over and join them quietly. Cassandra opened the doors for them and they headed out to go back to Fidella.  
  
“You two climb on, I’ll walk alongside.” Cassandra said, helping them both up onto Fidella. “Geez, I didn’t expect to be _babysitting_ today…” She grumbled, leading the filly along by holding her reins.  
  
“Sorry.” Varian said, his voice quiet and hollow.  
  
“Don’t apologize. It’s not your idea.” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Hey, Rose, where are you from, anyway?”  
  
“Uhm…I’m not from around here.” Rapunzel lied. “My parents are visiting from Ingvarr.”  
  
“Huh. Well, Ingvarr should be recognizable enough.” Cassandra shrugged.  
  
They got to the stables again and she saddled up a colt for Rapunzel to ride while she rode with the smaller Varian on Fidella. “So, what can you tell me about them?”  
  
Rapunzel gripped the reins a bit. “I…uh…” She faltered. “I lied. I’m…I’m an orphan.”  
  
“An or—wow.” Cassandra groaned. “Okay, well, I guess I’ll just take you to the orphanage, then.”  
  
“Can we…wait, though?” Rapunzel asked. “The other kids pick on me, and I…I just wanted to get out for a little while.”  
  
Cassandra sighed. “So, you both just need some time away, huh? Whatever, I’ll take you to my secret training spot, okay?” She smiled at Rapunzel.  
  
“Nooo, papa! Please, don’t take him away!” They heard someone crying out as a man got hauled past them in chains. “Please, papa didn’t mean to hurt anyone! Nooo!” A little girl ran after them, sobbing.  
  
“Another one.” Cassandra sighed. “Ever since the Princess got kidnapped, this place is a mess. Let’s go somewhere else, huh?”  
  
They nodded and she led them through town.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel recognized this area. It was where Cassandra did her special training sessions in the woods. They got down and she smiled brightly at them before going over to what looked like a smaller version of her obstacle course in the future.  
  
“Here we are. My secret training spot. Don’t tell anyone I brought you here.” Cassandra said, turning to them.  
  
Varian sat down in the grass and tugged at it, his expression listless. Rapunzel sat next to him, looking concerned. “What’s the matter with him?” She asked.  
  
Cassandra shrugged. “Dunno.” She walked over and next in front of Varian, reaching up and flick the stripe in his hair. “What’s the matter with you?”  
  
“My mom’s gone.” He said quietly. “She died while on a trip. We just heard the news two days ago, dad’s preparing a memorial for tomorrow.”  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “Oh…”  
  
Cassandra looked a bit uncomfortable. “Well… _I_ don’t have a mom, either. And Rose, her parents are both gone. So, we can…kind of relate.”  
  
“What happened to your mom?” Varian asked.  
  
“I guess she’s dead, or something. I’m an orphan, got adopted by the Captain of the Guards.” Cassandra shrugged. “Whatever, I don’t let it bug me. Why focus on someone I barely even remember? What matters is the here and now.” She started to tug at the grass, too, and Rapunzel started to join in.  
  
“So…uhm…if you didn’t run into me, what would you be doing today?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Probably be training.” Cassandra shrugged. “But, dad wants me to start training to be a maid next year.” She made a face. “Says that I shouldn’t put all my eggs in one basket, that I might find I enjoy that more than risking my life as a Royal Guard.”  
  
“But, what do _you_ want to do, Cassandra?” Rapunzel asked softly. “What’s _your_ dream?”  
  
“My dream?” She looked at her. “I…uhm…” She looked at the ground. “I don’t really have one. I guess the most I’ve got is to be in the Royal Guard, maybe Captain, one day.”  
  
“What about you, Varian?” Rapunzel looked at him.  
  
“I want my mom back.” He wiped at his eyes.  
  
Rapunzel winced. “Uhm…right…sorry.”  
  
They heard a whooshing sound and all got up in alarm as a light appeared in front of them. A cloaked figure stepped out and Cassandra reached for her sword. “Who are you?!” She demanded, moving in front of Varian and Rapunzel protectively.  
  
“I’m putting a _stop_ to this.” The cloaked figure said firmly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who is this mysterious figure?
> 
> ((A/N: The hourglass seemed to be responding to her thought-process at the time, so instead of Eugene and Lance, she went back to spend time with Cassandra and Varian!))


	17. Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's been enjoying her trip through time, but her fun has caused problems in the future!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Who ARE you?!” Cassandra demanded again.  
  
“We must speak without witnesses.” The man threw a hand out towards them. Rapunzel gasped as Cassandra, Varian and the young Royal Guard horses all glowed purple before collapsing. She checked on them and then looked at the man as he approached her. “Princess Rapunzel.”  
  
She slowly got up. “How do you know who I am?”  
  
“I am Kline, the True Seer. I came to Corona because I saw you were going to do this, and that I had to stop you.” He approached her. “Time travel is a very delicate magic, Sundrop. Even the _slightest_ change can have dire consequences, and you’ve gone and caused so many ripples that the present is a _mess_ right now.”  
  
“A-A mess?” Rapunzel asked. “What do you mean?”  
  
“It’s better that you don’t see it. Let’s just say that Varian and Cassandra are both quite fragile mentally and your offering them the possibility of a friendship they never had led to some…problems.” Kline sighed heavily. “You see, Rose vanished and never returned. There was no sign of her, and Cassandra searched for her tirelessly before finally giving up and deciding that it must have been a prank set by one of the other Royal Guard children. Varian, who was already hurt by the loss of his mother, suddenly had a friend disappear on him, and he grew afraid to get close to anyone, to trust anyone, but he still trusted _you, the_ Princess…and you know what happened normally with you and him. Cassandra took his side after going to find him after the blizzard because of their closer relationship and finding out what had been caused by your touching the rocks.”  
  
“Oh no.” Rapunzel breathed.  
  
“When Varian was defeated, Cassandra took him into hiding and then they followed you to the Dark Kingdom and stole the Moonstone together. Which led to some…well, you don’t want to see it. It’s ugly. And that is why I have come back here to set things right. Everything that happened here _must_ be undone. _No one_ must be aware you were here.”  
  
“Can _they_ at least be friends? I mean, Varian was at Xavier’s anyway.” She pleaded.  
  
“She only agreed to spend time with him because _you_ gave Xavier the idea. She collected the box and left without a glance his way originally.” Kline shook his head “We must undo _everything_ you influenced.”  
  
Rapunzel hung her head. “…I just…wanted them to be happy. I wanted Cassandra to have had someone care about her just once.”  
  
“Cassandra’s delusions about no one caring for her are _false_ , and you know it.” Kline said firmly. “The only thing ‘Rose’ would do is make things worse, and her early connection with young Varian would only lead to trouble when he inevitably is driven to madness and attacks you.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “I…I understand. What do we do?”  
  
Kline pulled out the Saporian Wand of Oblivium. “We put everything back where it was and make everyone forget about you. I will cast a sleeping spell on the Kingdom, which will allow us to set things right.” He waved his free hand and she gasped as she was changed into her true form. “There. That will be better to work with.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded and knelt down to lift Varian into her arms. “I don’t want to leave him like this…”  
  
“This is how it must be, Princess. We cannot alter the flow of time. Time travel is not meant for such things.” Kline said gently.  
  
“What _is_ it meant for, then?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Collecting seeds of an extinct plant, for one thing. Certainly not talking to people.” He walked away from her. “I will return shortly, once the Kingdom is put to sleep. Remain here until I return.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, sighing as she looked at Cassandra. She gently ran her fingers through the teenager’s bangs, her brow furrowed. “I just wanted to show her that she wasn’t alone…I had _no idea_ the present would be so…” She paused. “… _How_ did you two share the Moonstone?” She tilted her head to the side thoughtfully. “I’m…actually _really_ curious about that, but I doubt Kline will tell me.” She shifted Varian in her arms, her brow furrowing as she traced the stripe of teal in his black hair. It…reminded her of something. How long had he had this stripe in his hair, anyway?  
  
“Hm…” She reached out and untied Cassandra’s braid, letting her hair fall loose. She ran her fingers through her long, wild hair, then paused and slowly traced a lock of hair by her face. “Wait…” She murmured.  
  
“Princess.” She looked up to see Kline had returned. “You will want to braid her hair again.”  
  
“Right.” She set Varian down and then started to braid Cassandra’s hair again. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble…”  
  
“And that is when the worst trouble is caused, when someone intends to help and meddles in things.” Kline walked over and picked up Varian. “Let us return them to where they were.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Kline…” She looked at him. “How did they _both_ use the Moonstone? And when Cassandra changed, she had a stripe just like Varian’s, only hers was black, not blue or…teal. What does that _mean_?”  
  
“Naturally, you will be forgetting everything you learned in the past. If you had knowledge of them that they didn’t tell you themselves, they might guess that there were shenanigans afoot.” Kline said as he used wind magic to carry the sleeping horses.  
  
Rapunzel finished braiding Cassandra’s hair and then sheathed her sword before she picked her up and carried her after him. “You didn’t answer my question.”  
  
“Why bother, when you will not remember?” He asked calmly.  
  
“Why not, when I won’t remember?” She retorted.  
  
He chuckled. “Very well, I will tell you.” He smiled at her.  
  
“Really?” She asked.  
  
“Right before I erase your memories.” He walked on.  
  
She fumed. “Oh, come on!” She walked after him.  
  
He laughed.  
  
With Kline’s help, she took Varian back to Xavier’s, putting him back at his work-desk with his homework open and his lollipop on the table with the stick in his hand, then took the colt and Fidella back in the stables and Cassandra back in the courtyard. The horseshoes were put back in the shop for her to pick up, and Kline found the Captain and the guards and made them forget about “Rose”, as he had been doing for each piece they put back into place.  
  
“I can’t do much about the time that has passed, but I’m sure that will work itself out.” Kline shrugged as they crossed the bridged and entered the woods again.  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Kline…about my question?”   
  
He turned to her. “Alright…” He held up the Wind of Oblivium. “Varian is—”  
  
\--  
  
“Rapunzel! Rapunzel, are you okay?!”  
  
She groaned and slowly opened her eyes to find herself in the woods, with a worried Eugene, Varian and Andrew looking over her.  
  
“Mmnn…” She smiled a bit. “Hey, guys…”  
  
“’Hey, guys’, you’ve been _missing_ for _hours_!” Eugene said as Pascal hopped onto her chest and looked at her with concern, Ruddiger poking his head over her shoulder. “The _last_ time someone saw you was in the hall, and you vanished in a pink and blue smoke! We’ve had the Saporians looking for _hours_ for any trace of a magical kidnapping!”  
  
“I was about to call in Kline, but then he came to us himself and said that he knew where you were and directed us to you.” Andrew looked over his shoulder and Rapunzel looked at a cloaked man with braids in his hair. “What happened?”  
  
“I…I don’t remember.” Rapunzel frowned. “I think I was going to bring something to you, something magical, but…I don’t remember what.” Rapunzel slowly sat up, Pascal hopping onto her lap.  
  
“Are you feeling okay?” Varian asked with concern.  
  
Rapunzel smiled. “I’m feeling just fine.” She took Eugene’s hand and got up. “Uhm…I need to get back to putting Cassandra’s stuff away.”  
  
“Where _were_ you?” Eugene asked.  
  
“I don’t remember.” Rapunzel shrugged. “Uhm…Kline, right?” She looked at him. “You were the one that found me?”  
  
He nodded. “You went into the past, Princess. And your actions there caused something terrible to happen here, so I went back and helped you fix everything so it wouldn’t happen. I believe we did a rather good job at damage control.” He explained with a smile.  
  
“The past…wow.” Rapunzel breathed. “Wait, how did you know about what I was doing?”  
  
“Because I am the True Seer.” He said calmly. “And now, I believe it would be a good idea to inform your parents that you have been located. If you need me, Princess, I will be in Old Corona.” He walked off.  
  
“Right.” Rapunzel nodded. “I’ve been missing for _hours_. Wow.”  
  
Varian got up. “Right. I’m going back to Old Corona with Andrew. Uhm, you two have a safe trip back to the Capital.”  
  
“Will do.” Eugene grinned. “Good luck with that scroll.”  
  
“Heh, thanks.” Varian waved as he and Andrew left, Ruddiger heading after them.  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I guess we really _can’t_ change the past…at least, not without dire consequences.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “But…who knows. You and Varian both seem to have faith she’ll come around. Maybe Varian can get through to her.”  
  
Rapunzel smiled. “Maybe!”  
  
He took her hand in his and gently squeezed it. “But Sunshine? Please… _please_ , don’t _ever_ put me through that again. I…I thought I _lost_ you.”  
  
She smiled and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry. I will _try_ not to get sent through time or to any different location through magical means.”  
  
“That’s all I ask.” He nodded, heading back to the Capital with his hand gently squeezing hers, as if he was afraid she’d disappear if he let go.  
  
\--  
  
“Rapunzel!” Her parents ran to her as she entered the throne room and held her close, encircled in her arms.   
  
Rapunzel clung to them, her head bowed. “I’m sorry for worrying you. I don’t even know what happened. Apparently, I went through time? Uhm, one of the Saporians found me and brought me back, he’s some kind of really powerful wizard.”  
  
“Well, we’ll have to thank him when we see him. Please, don’t _ever_ scare us like this again.” Queen Arianna gently cupped her cheek, tears slipping down her cheek. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you again.”  
  
“I’m sorry.” Rapunzel held onto her parents tightly.   
  
“You’re home now. That’s what’s important.” King Frederic said, holding her closer. “You’re home.”  
  
Eugene smiled, standing back with Pascal. He didn’t know what had happened in the past, but if it had caused something really bad to happen in the present, maybe it was best she not remember.  
  
\--  
  
“Quirin of the Dark Brotherhood.”  
  
Quirin looked up to see a cloaked man approaching him. “…Yes?”  
  
“At last, we meet.” He unfastened his cloak and set it down on the back of a chair. “I am Kline, the True Seer. There is something I must warn you about concerning your son.”  
  
Quirin’s brow furrowed and he nodded before heading down the hall, Kline following after him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel doesn't know what she did or learned, but it can't have been that important, right?
> 
> ((A/N: And now you've met my first OC, Kline! Another one I need to draw.))


	18. Contest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra and Rapunzel tell their respective groups of an event that changed their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Cassandra walked up to the wreckage of the caravan that she had been traveling in for the past year and started to dig around in it. “Come on…” She murmured.  
  
She spotted some kind of paper and reached over to pull it out, but it was just one of Rapunzel’s obnoxious paintings of her and Cassandra being happy friends together. She frowned at it, her eyes narrowing.  
  
“Why have you come back here?” The girl asked as she floated over to her.   
  
“Thought I might find something of use.” She sighed, staring at the picture.  
  
“Are you having second thoughts?” The girl asked, floating up to look over her shoulder.   
  
“No.” She rolled up the poster. “I’m just…” She groaned.  
  
“You feel guilty.” She confirmed. “You and Rapunzel were very close and, while the truth of what she did to you stings, you still miss her.”  
  
“No.” She shook her head. “I don’t miss her. I’m just…” Cassandra sighed heavily. “It’s hard to just…pretend it all didn’t happen. Which is part of why it hurts, because of all the fond memories being… _tainted_ by the knowledge that she stole my mother from me, on top of everything _else_ she put me through.”  
  
She heard hooting and looked up to see Owl flying over with a piece of paper. She took it when he got close enough and frowned. “Speaking of stealing things…”  
  
It was a painting by Rapunzel of her with Eugene, Varian, and Andrew. Apparently, she’d not only stopped Andrew’s takeover, but turned him from a foe into a friend. And it looked like Varian had _also_ turned a new leaf and forgiven her for everything, too. “ _Why_ does she always get _everything_?” She clenched her fists on the sides.   
  
The girl made a sympathetic noise. “The princess has no restraint. Surely, she knew that making him her friend before you could reconnect with him as a potential ally would hurt you.”  
  
Cassandra let out a yell and threw the picture, a black rock shooting out and stabbing through it with her rage. “I should’ve just _left_ her when I had the _chance_ …” She said through clenched teeth.  
  
“What do you mean?” The girl asked curiously.  
  
Cassandra sighed, walking over to sit on the remains of a bed. “It was shortly after she came back from the tower…”  
  
\--  
  
“It’s just on the other side, almost there!” Rapunzel said as she opened a door and led a shy-looking maid through into a dark, creepy-looking room. The teenage maid looked around with wide, blue-gray eyes as she hesitantly followed her in. “Just a liiittle farther!” She sang as she passed by a crate, which moths flew out of and spooked the maid. She stopped in front of a curtain and pulled it aside. “Da-da-da-daaaa! Secret passage!”  
  
The girl looked past her at the dark, gloomy-looking tunnel with rats and cobwebs all over the place and took a hesitant step back. “Uh, _what_ does this have to do with being a Lady-in-Waiting?”  
  
“Weeeell, you never know when you might need to sneak outta the castle, right?” Rapunzel said, taking her wrist and pulling her along. “Plus, it’s so much _fun_ down here!”  
  
The girl looked at her surroundings with a dubious look, then gasped. “O-Oh my. Is that a millipede?”  
  
“Oh, it’s a centipede, actually.” Rapunzel assured her, looking at the critter closely while the maid tried not to have a panic attack. “But, you were only off by a few hundred pedes.”  
  
The maid fled and Rapunzel sighed before going out after her. She caught up to her and found her clinging to Varian’s sleeves, her face buried in his chest. Eugene was standing next to them, looking amused.   
  
“Oh, Sunshine, there you are! Hey, I’m trying a new hair product today, tell me honestly. Too stiff? Or just bouncy enough?” He ran his fingers through his hair and then wriggled his eyebrows with his finger and thumb under his chin.  
  
Rapunzel looked thoughtful, then tapped the girl’s shoulder. “Hey, look, Eugene’s preening again! Huh? Huh? Don’t you wanna hit him with a zingy one-liner or something?”  
  
Varian raised an eyebrow. “Rapunzel, what are you doing?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed, seeing she wasn’t getting the desired reaction out of the maid, who was awkwardly standing next to Varian now. “Just…testing her out to see if she fits the role of Lady-in-Waiting.”  
  
“Really? Because it _looks_ more like you’re trying to make Faith act like Cassandra.” Varian crossed his arms over his chest. “When you said you were having trouble finding a new Lady-in-Waiting and asked if I knew of anyone that would be good for the job, you neglected to mention that you’ve been _dragging_ those ladies through _cobweb-infested tunnels_!”  
  
Rapunzel looked a bit guilty. “I…”  
  
“You’re not looking for a new Lady-in-Waiting, Rapunzel, you’re looking for a new Cassandra. And, I’m sorry, but you won’t find one. She’s pretty one-of-a-kind. Now, if you want a Lady-in-Waiting and not a Cassandra, then I think Faith is a good fit. She was a big help to me during the takeover, when I was Royal Advisor, and I think you could get to like her.” Varian smiled at her.  
  
“Come on, Sunshine, Varian’s right. You’ve turned down _five_ handmaidens, and all because they aren’t acting like Cassandra. If Varian thinks that his friend here would be a good Lady-in-Waiting for you, why not give her a try? You know, as herself, and not as a Cassandra replacement?”  
  
The girl glanced between the three of them nervously. “Uhm…I’m gonna go… _hem_ something.”  
  
“Alright, see you later.” Varian nodded, and then the girl fled the area.  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I know, I’m…not being fair. It’s just…she’s a _really_ hard act to follow. She was just…you know, _wild_ enough to keep up with me. And, really, I think my Lady-in-Waiting _should_ be well-versed in secret passages!”  
  
“Yes, probably, especially since we have Cassandra planning to attack, it might be good for the entire royal guard to know them before—oh, come to think of it, she knows _all_ of them.” Varian looked at Eugene. “Am I wrong?”  
  
“No, no, you’re right. Cassandra was the one that taught Rapunzel, she’ll likely use the secret passages to sneak inside so we _should_ make sure that they’re guarded just in case.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I just don’t think Faith and I will work out.”  
  
“As I recall, you and Cass took a while to warm up to each other. Wasn’t she being super cold to you up until that Princess thing?” Eugene reminded her.  
  
Rapunzel frowned, nodding. “Yeah. The Contest of the Crowns.”  
  
“What’s that?” Varian asked.  
  
“It’s an official Princess event that my parents asked me to attend a couple years ago, a competition between the Princesses of the Seven Kingdoms. It was a month or so after I escaped the tower. I picked Cass as my partner, in hopes that we’d bond.” Rapunzel sighed, looking to the side. “It…didn’t go very well, at first.”  
  
\--  
  
“She wouldn’t give me a choice in the matter and forced me into this competition as her partner.” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “I was probably the only partner in the whole event that was a Lady-in-Waiting, and I had to wear my uniform for it the whole time.”  
  
“That sounds frustrating.” The girl said, sitting next to her. Well, “sitting”, since she was actually unable to actually sit on any solid objects and instead just hover right above them.  
  
“You have _no_ idea.” Cassandra nodded. “She was bound and determined for us to be friends, and when I told her there was one-in-a-million chance of that, she clung to that ‘one’ like her life depended on it and wouldn’t give up.” Her expression softened a bit. “I…really _liked_ that about her. She was the first person who wasn’t chased off by my cold, distrustful nature.”  
  
“Hmm.” The girl hummed, nodding for her to go on.  
  
“Every challenge was decided by each Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, and it was…pretty clear that we were up against some pretty tough competition, just looking at them. Rapunzel, of course, was excited to see all these new people, and of course she was. She’d been living in a _tower_ for eighteen years with _my mother_ , she had never had the chance to see anyone else. Granted, _I’d_ never gotten the chance to see all the Princesses, either. And, hah, they were…intense. I found myself drawn to the Princesses of Ingvarr especially. Warriors, through and through, battle-lust flowed through their veins.”  
  
Her expression darkened. “Of course, Rapunzel had to go and embarrass me, as she always does, by making me and her matching ‘spirit bracelets’ in front of the other Princesses. They laughed, of course. Why wouldn’t they?”  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel sighed as she led Eugene and Varian into her room and went to her bookshelf, where she pulled out matching bracelets. “I tried… _so_ hard to get her to like me. Not too different from you making her that necklace, Varian.” She smiled sadly. “She didn’t appreciate these when I first presented them to her. And she’s never really been much of a hugger…or…a people-person. She’s always been…distant.” She walked over and sat on her bed, holding the bracelets close. “But, I still kept trying. And I…kept embarrassing her.”  
  
Eugene and Varian sat on her bed with her and Rapunzel sighed. “The Queen of Koto decided our first event. Ballroom dancing. I was raised in a tower, I knew nothing of this kind of stuff, especially not the traditional Kotoan style. Which, by the way, Cassandra decided to insult when I was actually trying to appreciate it. I pretended to dislike it as well, to…you know, get her to like me. Then when we actually started to do it, I realized it was actually really… _really boring_. And so, I…” she winced a bit, “made it more… _exciting_. And it ended up in…well, humiliation. I pulled out a flute and Pascal pulled out bongos and we started to dance around while playing along with the music and completely…missed the point of the event.”  
  
“What happened?” Varian asked.  
  
“Cassandra chased me around until she finally used her Royal Guard skills to take the flute from me. She ended up impressing the Queen of Ingvarr, apparently, but everyone else was laughing at us.” Rapunzel looked at Eugene. “You remember that, right?”  
  
“Yeah. You were having fun and she got pissed because she took it too seriously and you just wanted to enjoy life.” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“No, no. _I_ was in the wrong. If everyone _else_ is taking it that seriously, _I_ should’ve been, too. Monty’s right, I’m too free-spirited.” She sighed and leaned back, staring up at the ceiling.  
  
\--  
  
“After that humiliating first event, the Princesses of Ingvarr approached me and said that their mother wanted to talk to me.” Cassandra stood up and walked forward a bit. “So, I went to meet with her, as instructed. I mean, when royalty tells you to do something, you do it. Especially if it’s royalty that you think is really, really cool.”  
  
“I don’t think I can understand but, do go on.” The girl said casually.  
  
“Right.” Cassandra blushed a bit. “Anyways, when I got there, she challenged me to a duel. Well, more like she suddenly came at me with a weapon and I grabbed a weapon from one of the suits of armor in the corridor and blocked the blow. She beat me, embarrassingly easily, but she was impressed with me. She said I had a fighter’s spirit, offered for me to join her army in Ingvarr if I beat her challenge, the final event. It was an _amazing_ offer.”  
  
“Why did you not take it? Did you lose?” The girl asked curiously.  
  
Cassandra sighed and walked over to sit back down next to her. “No, I…it’s…let me finish the story.”  
  
“Take your time, we have plenty.” The girl assured her.  
  
“Well, only the top two teams would get to her event, so I had to make sure that Rapunzel got there. So, I sucked it up and approached her and pretended to be her friend, like she wanted, to get my goal.” Cassandra went on, as the girl eagerly listened.  
  
\--  
  
“I was so excited, Cassandra wanted to be friends! I was so hyped to win the competition with her, no matter what we had to do!” Rapunzel threw her hand out, then pulled it back. “Well…the next event was identifying the correct cutlery. Having been out of the tower only two months…I didn’t know any of it. And I, uhm…embarrassed her again by grabbing two random forks and sticking them in oysters and making them dance around on the table.”  
  
Varian stifled a laugh at the imagery and Rapunzel giggled. “Yeah, yeah, I know. I was pretty silly. You can laugh, it’s okay.” She sighed. “Anyways, uhm…we failed that event. But, the next event was more my style, befriending woodland creatures!”  
  
“I bet _Varian_ would win that one.” Eugene snickered.  
  
“Please, from what I hear, Uncle Hector has me beat by a landslide.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Yeah, uhm…Cassandra got a couple raccoons, and _I_ …befriended a _wolf_.” Rapunzel said sheepishly.  
  
Varian’s jaw dropped. “Don’t tell me they _failed_ you for that! That’s awesome!”  
  
“They did, because it attacked people.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Well, they didn’t say they had to befriend anyone but _you_.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Yeah…anyways, uhm, we weren’t winning so far, and I could tell Cassandra was getting…frustrated.” Rapunzel sighed. “Anyways, the next event was Steed Capering! Which, of course, Maximus and Fidella helped with.”   
  
“How did _that_ go?” Varian asked.  
  
\--  
  
“And she pulls out the stupid FLUTE again!” Cassandra threw her hands up in frustration.  
  
“After the _disaster_ it caused the last time?” The girl asked in disbelief.  
  
“And then _Pascal_ pulls the _bongos_ out, and I’m trying to tell them to _stop_ , but do they listen? Ohhh, no, not them! They only listen to themselves and their whims, which of course are perfectly in-sync, like WE should have been with our HORSES!” Cassandra got up and started to pace in irritation, brushing the black lock of hair out of her face.  
  
“You poor dear.” The girl said, watching her. “How did it go?”  
  
“Well, the people sure seemed to like watching Maximus dance around, until he bumped into Fidella and she got upset!” Cassandra fumed. “In her panic, she accidentally launched me off and I landed in a puddle of mud!”  
  
“Ohh…” The girl winced.  
  
“I was _humiliated_! Everyone was laughing at me, and Rapunzel offered to help me, but she’d already done enough! I couldn’t bear being around her anymore! If _this_ was her idea of being a friend, it’s no wonder she only had criminals for friends!” Cassandra threw her hand out to the side. “My hopes for going to Ingvarr were dashed, and I felt heartbroken that she would do that to me, to humiliate me in front of the royal families of all Seven Kingdoms! And then…she pulled another…stunt.”  
  
“Do tell.” The girl nodded.  
  
\--  
  
“I tried to make up for what happened at the event by setting up a sleepover tent in her room, but she…uhm…she didn’t take it well.” Rapunzel sighed. “She told me firmly that we weren’t friends, and told me that she basically hated everything I’d been doing and to leave. So, I said that I guess I don’t know how to make friends, went into my little tent and hid in the dark, you know, all sad.”  
  
“I mean…to be fair, you _did_ pretty much ruin her day and then invade her room.” Varian shrugged. “Maybe you should’ve given her some space.”  
  
“Well, then she came into the tent with me and said that _she’s_ not good at making friends, either. We decided to mutually work towards a friendship, with me not being so… _pushy_ and her not being so distant.” Rapunzel nodded. “And, the next day, the competition went on. The next event was embroidery, which we both excelled in! We made this amazing banner with Corona’s name on it and an image of the island, I think we still have it around here somewhere!”  
  
“I’d love to see it.” Varian smiled. Eugene just sat back, having lived it and so letting Varian make all the commentary.  
  
“I’ll show you it later. After that was this really fun ride called the ‘Wild Carriage’, and the event was to keep our composure while on it!” Rapunzel grinned.  
  
“Some of the Princesses ended up flying off it, screaming their heads off.” Eugene cringed.  
  
“Naturally, Cass and I _nailed_ it!” Rapunzel said excitedly. “We just sat there with a confident smile, waving to the crowd delicately!” She waved her hand in a very regal manner and Varian giggled.  
  
“Next up, _baking_ ~!” She went on in a sing-song tone. “Which I have had eighteen years of practice in, and Cass and I worked together on it and it was the best and biggest cake in the room! We were totally in-sync!”  
  
Her expression faltered. “But, then…well, we made it to the finals, and I found out that Cass had been hiding something from me.” She looked a bit glum.  
  
“What is it?” Varian frowned.  
  
\--  
  
“Finally, we made it to the finals!” Cassandra threw a fist in the air. “All I had to do was succeed here and I’d be going to Ingvarr! The final event was ‘Capture the Flag’, and we were up against the Princesses of Ingvarr themselves.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, something happened that ruined Rapunzel’s morale. The Queen came into our tent and congratulated me, reminding me of our arrangement. Right in front of Rapunzel.”  
  
“Oh dear.” The girl gasped.  
  
“Rapunzel asked me why I didn’t _tell_ her I was unhappy and I told her that I wasn’t _unhappy_ , this was just a great opportunity for me, to go and join an elite Kingdom of _warrior women_.” Cassandra ran her hands through her hair, letting out a heavy sigh. “Rapunzel…didn’t like that I had been pretty much using her to get my goal. I mean, yeah, we’d been having fun, but couldn’t we do _both_?!”  
  
\--  
  
“And you’re surprised she took the Moonstone.” Varian said flatly. “Rapunzel, _how_ do you keep letting this happen to you?”  
  
“I don’t know…” She held her head. “I thought she’d changed…but, I guess she hasn’t. Anyways, uhm…” She sighed, lowering her hands to her lap. “We went to do the event, though I didn’t want to anymore. Not now that I knew the truth, that Cassandra was just _using_ me to get her ticket out of Corona, away from her Lady-in-Waiting job, away from _me_.” She wiped at her eyes.  
  
“Sunshine, do you need a break?” Eugene asked gently.  
  
“No, no…I need to finish this.” Rapunzel nodded. “So, we went out to do the event, and Cassandra at least had the grace to look ashamed of what she’d been doing. Or maybe she was just upset she’d been caught and told off for it, I don’t know. Anyways, our task was to take the flag on top of a giant, iron mechanical lion. Oh, Varian, you should’ve _seen_ that thing, you would _swoon_.”  
  
“Do you still _have_ it?” Varian asked.  
  
“No, they took it back to Ingvarr after the event. I’ll see if we can take a trip there and ask to show you it.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
Varian grinned and she went on. “Anyways, we started to fight it. Or, _I_ did, _Cassandra_ was for some reason lagging back and acting like a concerned friend when I got hit by the lion’s giant paw. I reminded her that she’d told me before that winners focused on winning and went back into the fray, just to get it done and over with so she could _leave_ like she _so badly wanted to_!” She fumed, standing up and making dramatic gestures, throwing her hand out towards the window in frustration.  
  
“We fought the lion, I got really close but got knocked off by both the lion _and_ the Ingvarr Princesses, and Cass was left on the lion, just a couple feet away from the flag. She could’ve taken it, she could’ve gotten her big dream of leaving Corona and me, forever.”  
  
“But?” Varian prompted, on the edge of his seat.  
  
“She…didn’t.” Rapunzel said softly. “She chose _me_ , _our_ _friendship_ , over her goal. She disappointed the Queen of Ingvarr…to stay with me.” She walked back to the bed and sat down between them. “That’s…why I don’t understand why she’s chosen her ambitions over me _now_. If she hated me _so much_ …if it was all a _lie_ …why didn’t she _leave_ that day?”  
  
Varian sighed. “Dunno.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “Who knows?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed heavily. “That was the day we became best friends.” She wiped at her eyes. “My first female friend.”  
  
Eugene and Varian both gently hugged her.  
  
\--  
  
“So, you gave up a promising career in Ingvarr for a friendship with the Princess.” The girl said, rising from her seat.  
  
“It was a stupid move, a lapse in judgement. From that point on, she kept making me regret it even though I hid it deep inside where only a truth serum would be able to dig it out, and _thank the heavens_ I never ate any of Varian’s cookies.” Cassandra cringed.  
  
  
“Cookies?” The girl asked with interest.  
  
“Hah, yeah. The kid used his _brilliant_ mind to turn a mood potion into a truth serum. Varian is an alchemist, and one of the smartest people in the _world_ , since Demantius, I bet.” Cassandra nodded, then walked over and picked up the stabbed picture, pulling it off the rock and tearing the part with Rapunzel and Eugene off, looking at the side with Andrew and Varian. “He would’ve been a _really_ good ally… _both_ of them would’ve.”  
  
She folded up the picture and tucked it into her armor before turning to the girl. “Story time’s over, let’s move on.”  
  
“Of course.” The girl nodded. “I have to ask, Cassandra, are you aware that Rapunzel has stolen some of your power?”  
  
“What do you mean?” Cassandra turned to her.  
  
“When Rapunzel touched the Moonstone’s black rocks, they gave her their protective power.” The girl reminded her. “This kept the Sundrop safe until she made her way to the Dark Kingdom.”  
  
Cassandra sighed. “…Yeah…yeah, I remember that. So, that’s why her hair was as indestructible as the rocks.”  
  
“So, you see, the power of the Moonstone is not _completely_ yours.” The girl floated up and gently cupped the black lock of hair in her hand. “That is why you are incomplete, physically.”

Cassandra pulled out the poster of Rapunzel and her and unrolled it. “Because she stole some of my power the night her hair grew long again.” She said, glaring at her long, blonde hair in the picture. She growled and tore it in half, then left the pieces on the ground as she walked away. “I’m taking it back, one way or another.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is there still hope for Cassandra? Or is she truly lost?


	19. Prank War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Trevor is up to his old tricks and Frederic seeks revenge! Rapunzel sees this as a golden opportunity to mend the rift between her father and Varian!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Well…he’s certainly creative.” Eugene said as King Frederic stared in disbelief at a statue of King Trevor, which is where his was supposed to be. His own statue was found in the woods, with the head stuck in the mud.  
  
“…Take it down.” He ordered, and the guard set to the task. “We need to make him pay for this.”  
  
“Why don’t we figure out a plan _before_ we go this time, so we’re not constantly butting heads?” Eugene suggested.  
  
“You two are going somewhere?” Rapunzel asked curiously, walking up to them.  
  
“Equis, my dear. We’re going to Equis again.” King Frederic told her. “We’re going to give him a prank that he’ll never forget or top.”  
  
“Pranking was a big bonding activity for you guys before, huh?” Rapunzel smiled, then looked thoughtful. “Oh! I just had an idea!”  
  
“An idea?” They asked in unison.  
  
She grinned. “Why don’t you take a third person with you?”  
  
They looked at each other, then at her. “…Who?”  
  
\--  
  
Eugene let out a breath as he stopped in front of the manor in Old Corona and then got down off of Maximus. “’Worst he can do is say no’, huh, Sunshine?” He muttered, walking up to the door and knocking twice.  
  
The door opened and Quirin looked out at him. “Yes?”  
  
“Hey, Quirin.” Eugene greeted. “Is Varian home?”  
  
“Give that back!”  
  
“Make me!”  
  
They heard the sound of breaking glass and Quirin looked over to see Kiera and Catalina encased in goop, Varian snatching a vial from the former victoriously. “Clearly.” Quirin said, looking back at Eugene.  
  
“Using alchemy is cheating!” Kiera protested as Varian pulled out the neutralizing particles and freed them.  
  
“It’s not cheating to use everything at your disposal.” Varian said, walking back to his lab.  
  
“Hey, Varian!” Eugene walked in. “Got some time to spare?”  
  
Varian looked over at him. “For what?”  
  
“A little trip.” Eugene grinned. “Ever been to Equis?”  
  
“No…why?” Varian raised an eyebrow.  
  
Eugene cleared his throat. “So, uh, Rapunzel had this idea…see, the _last_ time that King Frederic went to prank King Trevor, he took me with him, and we _really_ worked out some problems we were having. Rapunzel thinks it might do you some good, you know, as _allies_ , to come along with us this time and do some fun pranking bonding time stuff.”  
  
“Absolutely not.” Quirin frowned.  
  
“I can speak for myself, dad.” Varian said sharply, and then his expression softened. “…Thank you, though.”  
  
“I mean, you don’t _have_ to, I totally get if you don’t want—”  
  
“When?” Varian asked.  
  
“Uh, what?” Eugene blinked.  
  
“When?” Varian repeated.  
  
“Uh…as soon as you’re ready.” Eugene nodded.  
  
“Do we have a plan of action?” Varian asked.  
  
“We were _going_ to have a meeting about it...” Eugene admitted. “Hard to think of something that they can’t top, though, and he _really_ wants to beat him at this game.”  
  
Varian looked thoughtful. “Hm…” He walked off to his lab.  
  
“What’s _that_ mean?” Eugene followed him. “Are you in or what?”  
  
“I’m thinking.” Varian said, putting the vial away and pulling out paper and a pencil to start scribbling and drawing. He walked over and saw him drawing what looked like an impressive life-like picture of the Castle of Equis. “According to the book, that would be…so, we’ll have to account for…need to make sure we hit everyone at once…”  
  
“Varian?” Eugene asked.  
  
“We’re going to need to use a hot air balloon for all the paint.” Varian continued on, as if he hadn’t spoken.  
  
“Paint?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Don’t want to make it look like it’s Saporia’s doing, though, they’re apparently allies.” Varian continued to scribble.  
  
“What are you doing?” Eugene asked.  
  
“No, we’ll use a cart. We’re going to need gold and purple paint. A lot of it. And bring something to cover your mouth and nose with, I’m going to use the sleeping gas.” Varian said, setting down his pencil and getting up before he started to fill up his backpack with green alchemy balls.  
  
“So…you’re in, then?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Yes, Eugene, I’m in. We might want to bring a team; it’ll be hard to repaint the entire castle in Corona’s colors with just three people.” Varian closed up his backpack and put it on his back. “Let’s head to the Capital.”  
  
“I wonder if Rapunzel will want to help out?” Eugene said thoughtfully. “She _loves_ painting.”  
  
\--  
  
To say that King Frederic was surprised to hear he’d accepted was an understatement. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully as Varian laid out the plan for the prank, complete with calculating how many people they’d need to get it done before they woke up from the gas in eight hours and how much paint they needed to bring along.   
  
He’d give the boy this, he was a _brilliant_ strategist. He’d be _terrifying_ in an actual war. He was vividly reminded of how Varian had managed to predict their moves when they came to fight him, right down to setting up a dummy for King Frederic to grab, luring them to where they would be caught by his encasing goo bombs.  
  
It was a good thing he was on _their_ side now.  
  
Rapunzel was getting excited, and she took no time at all rounding up townsfolk that would be willing to help out with the prank and get back at King Trevor for wounding their Coronan pride. They gathered up paint and loaded up the carts and then set out, Eugene and Varian on Maximus and Rapunzel on Fidella while her father rode his own horse.  
  
Naturally, the actual Royal Guard were left to defend the place in case of trouble, and Queen Arianna chose to stay behind and wait for word. After they finished preparations, though a few people questioned if they should be trusting Varian or not, the “troops” set off to Equis.  
  
\--  
  
“Painting the castle in the colors of Corona, that’s a _really_ horrible and devious plan.” Eugene chuckled.  
  
“You wanted something that they couldn’t top.” Varian smirked. “I highly doubt they’d be able to knock out everyone in Corona at once and repaint the city and castle in the colors of Equis and, even if they did, they’d just be copycats. This will be checkmate.” He assured him.  
  
“Remind me not to play chess with you.” Rapunzel said with amusement, then looked at her father, who hadn’t said a word after they set out.  
  
She was hoping that they would bond, him and Varian but, after the initial planning stages, Varian had been pointedly avoiding him and spoke to Eugene or her.   
  
\--  
  
“For the first phase of the plan, I should only go in with one or two people.” Varian said as they got close to Equis and dismounted. “Just enough to distribute the gas.”  
  
“That’ll be Eugene and dad, then. They know the place.” Rapunzel said, smiling at them.  
  
Varian glanced at her, then nodded. “Okay.”  
  
“Your Highness,” A townsperson walked up to Rapunzel. “Is this a good idea? Leaving him alone with the King?”  
  
“Uh, hi, _I’ll_ be going too.” Eugene waved a hand at them.  
  
“It’s just not safe. Someone else should go.” The townsperson insisted.  
  
“Are you volunteering?” Varian asked, looking at them with a feral grin. The person shivered and backed off. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.” He looked back towards the castle before he took off his backpack. People backed up as he opened it and then he was pulling out green balls of alchemy, which he put into Eugene’s and King Fredric’s satchels. “Assuming nothing goes wrong, these should be enough to knock out the entire castle. We’ll go in, knock them all out, then return and let you all know it’s safe to enter. No one else goes in until we come out, got it?”  
  
“What if something goes wrong?” Rapunzel asked. “How long should we wait?”  
  
“The gassing portion of this operation should only take an hour or two at most. If it passes the two-hour mark, send in Pascal as a scout. He can camouflage and pass unnoticed.” Varian walked over to close up his bag and then got up, putting it back on his back. “On your mark, Your Majesty.”  
  
King Frederic looked towards the castle, studying the guards’ movements. Varian had never been here, he was blindly trusting Eugene and King Frederic to lead him into potential danger, with only knockout bombs at his disposal. He’d looked in the bag when he had it open and was filling Eugene’s, he hadn’t brought any other color of alchemy bomb. This mission could either repair their broken relationship or utterly destroy any chance it had, and he couldn’t blow it. Not after all he’d done to this child in his blind, overprotective paranoia. He needed to make amends, especially for…  
  
He glanced away, trying not to think of how he’d become his father in that interrogation room. Varian had been so stubborn, mocking him, throwing his offer back in his face. He’d thought the boy would jump at the chance to make alchemy, so what if it was on his orders? He’d have better living conditions, could earn his freedom project by project. He didn’t intend to lock him up with a chain on his ankle like the Kings before, he wasn’t a _barbarian_.  
  
And yet…he’d stood there, watching, as Varian’s shirt was removed from his body, as he was whipped again and again with his wrists chained to the interrogation table. He kept in his screams, his body trembling but his gaze on King Frederic, fierce and cold and yet burning into his mind, promising him pain if he got free.  
  
Pain he never delivered. He was a better person than him, by far.  
  
“Your Majesty?” Varian prompted.  
  
He swallowed nervously and nodded. “Let’s move out.”  
  
\--  
  
The three of them pulled up thick scarves over their nose and mouths and headed for the castle. They were all dressed in dark colors, the night sky barely lit their path, but they found their way in. They stopped and looked into the garden from different openings, and King Frederic and Eugene could see Varian silently calculating as he held up a hand, his trusty raccoon opening the bag and taking out of the green, glowing balls and handing it to him. The glow was concealed in his dark gloves and they watched a guard passed by their location. Then Varian looked towards the other two and raised his hand. They pulled out their own balls and raised their hands. At Varian’s signal, they threw the balls into the garden.  
  
The glass shattered and the green smoke spread out swiftly, carried on the wind to hit the people guarding up above. This stuff was potent, and Eugene knew that if they weren’t wearing the scarves Varian had given them, they’d be out like a light as well. He couldn’t help but feel chills at the fact that Varian had this kind of thing at his disposal.  
  
The outside guards were all down, and they headed in, checking around the outside before they found open windows with unconscious staff and climbed in, ready to wreak havoc on the inside.  
  
Eight hours, Varian had said. That’s how long they’d be out. They moved from floor to floor, tossing sleeping bombs into hallways and opening rooms to put anyone inside to sleep. With how well things were going, King Frederic couldn’t help but feel glee at the thought of King Trevor waking up to find his castle completely transformed.  
  
There was just one problem: King Trevor wasn’t home. According to gossiping maids, he wouldn’t be home for two hours. By that time, they’d have started on the painting. They’d have to have someone on standby to knock him out upon arrival.  
  
“Well, that should be everyone.” Varian said as they stood in the empty throne room. “Everyone that’s home, that is.”  
  
“I’m all out of bombs.” Eugene revealed.  
  
“I as well.” King Frederic admitted.  
  
“I didn’t think he’d be gone from his own castle. I only have one left.” Varian frowned. “Well, we’ll get him when he gets home, have someone watching the dock. In the meantime, it’s time to signal to the others that it’s time to come in and paint. Let’s get everyone locked in one room, first.”  
  
They nodded and then went out to let the others know. They all worked together to lock people up in one room and then they got to work. Varian left Ruddiger with Rapunzel and took up post at the dock by himself, since he had the last knockout bomb, and Eugene and Frederic joined in the painting.  
  
King Frederic couldn’t help but feel…concerned, though. If Trevor’s navy seals knocked away the bomb before Varian could throw it, then he could be captured. Who knew what Trevor would do to him then? ‘Someone should be with him.’ He thought, setting down his paintbrush.  
  
“Dad?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Keep painting.” He smiled. “I want to see the look on Trevor’s face when he comes back only to be knocked out at the dock.” He headed out before anyone could say anything else, despite the protests in concern he got from several people as the doors were closed behind him.  
  
\--  
  
Varian was sitting on the edge of the dock when he joined him. He looked so small, so fragile and so _young_ from a distance, and King Frederic slowly walked up to him before sitting next to him, looking out at the sea silently. Varian had the green knockout bomb in his hands as he stared into space, his thoughts his own. If he noticed he had company, he didn’t indicate it.  
  
He cleared his throat and Varian glanced at him before looking back at the sea. King Frederic let out a sigh and shifted a bit. “This…this was a good plan.” He said, deciding to clear the air a bit with a compliment.  
  
“Thank you.” Varian said, not looking at him. “The people of Corona work well together, like bees in a hive, so I didn’t have any doubts that it would go off without a hitch.” He paused. “Well, there is _one_ little hitch, but it’s easily handled.”  
  
“Mm.” King Frederic nodded. “I recall…you took care of us and advised me without leading me too far astray.” He said, looking at the sea. “Granted, there _was_ that time you convinced me to arrange my files in reverse alphabetical order, but I suppose that was just a prank.”  
  
“It was.” Varian nodded.  
  
“Considering our history…” he glanced at him, “I’m surprised you can stand me near you right now.”  
  
“I promised Rapunzel civility.” Varian said, glancing at him. “Your actions against me after the storm were cruel, and your reasons irrational, but I can’t let that drag me down. After all, I pretty much enslaved the townsfolk in the mines, and yet they put up with me being around them. They still hate me, of course, and I don’t dare be around them alone. Frankly, I’m nervous about being alone with you, but you’re not likely to bloody your own hands. I’m safer with you all alone than if someone were with us that wasn’t Eugene or Rapunzel.”  
  
King Frederic nodded. “…Why did you agree to help?”  
  
“Why did you agree to invite me?” Varian looked at him fully finally.  
  
“…I thought that, through this, we could heal the rift between us.” King Frederic nodded. “I know, we have a lot of pain between us. There’s scars that will never heal, nightmares that won’t go away, and trauma that will haunt us until the day we die. But…we can attempt to heal.”  
  
Varian looked at the sea again. “Can we?”  
  
King Fredric swallowed back his pride and then reached out to place his hand on Varian’s, drawing his attention back to him. “…I… _hope_ so. Varian, I…I am… _very_ sorry. And _very ashamed_ of my actions. My _father_ would be _proud_.” He scowled.  
  
Varian shifted a bit, looking uncomfortable. “…I’m sorry, too. For everything I did. I should’ve never involved Queen Arianna in our…dispute. The only ones involved were you, me, and Rapunzel, and it should’ve _stayed_ that way.” He paused. “Oh, and also the entire Royal Guard.”  
  
King Frederic nodded. “I have…a _lot_ to make up for.”  
  
“You do.” Varian nodded. “But…” he smiled a bit, “an apology is a good start.”  
  
They spotted something and got up. “He’s back early.” King Frederic said, then grabbed Varian and pulled him along to hide behind some boxes on the dock before they would be spotted. Varian didn’t resist, understanding his intentions.  
  
“How big is his entourage normally?” Varian asked, putting his scarf over his nose as King Frederic did the same.  
  
“I think just one will be enough.” King Frederic said quietly as they watched the ship pull up to the dock. “But you’ll want to hit them as soon as they reach the bottom of the ramp.”  
  
Varian nodded, then paused before offering him the bomb. “…You have longer arms. Might be able to get a better throw than me.”  
  
King Frederic looked surprised. “…You trust me not to trap you?”  
  
“I trust you’re willing to try to make amends.” He nodded. “It’s all on you, Your Majesty. Besides,” he smiled, “if he sees you, he’ll know for sure it’s _your_ doing before he even sees the castle.”  
  
King Frederic nodded and then slowly stood up, watching as the ramp lowered and King Trevor came down with his entourage.  
  
Three…  
Two…  
One.  
  
King Frederic came out, got a “Frederic, what are _you_ doing here?!” and let the bomb fly. Everyone was hit and they collapsed onto the dock.  
  
“Nice!” Varian grinned as he got up.  
  
“What happened?!” A guard yelled, and they looked in alarm.  
  
“Uh oh.” Varian cringed.  
  
“Well, we don’t have any more of _those_. You’ve been training to fight, right?” King Frederic asked.  
  
“Not hand-to-hand!” Varian said as the guards came down the ramp.  
  
“Well, it’s a good time to learn.” King Frederic said, nodding to him as he took an offensive posture. Varian cautiously came out to join him and imitated his fighting stance.  
  
The guards came running down, swords raised to fight. King Frederic and Varian moved off the dock onto solid ground to avoid being knocked into the water, then ducked and dodged around the blades, King Frederic getting in punches and kicks. Varian mostly evaded; the one time he tried to get a punch in, he felt like his hand was going to break from the impact and he withdrew quickly.  
  
“We’re outnumbered!” Varian realized as more guards came out of the ship.  
  
“Running might be the ideal course.” King Frederic said, and then they turned and ran into the woods, the guards giving chase.  
  
Varian glanced around as they ran, then grabbed King Frederic’s hand and gave him a yank. “This way, Your Majesty!” He said, and King Frederic looked back at the guards before following his lead. They ducked into a thicket together and curled up close as they listened to the guards run by angrily.  
  
Varian waited for his heart to stop pounding like a rabbit’s before he slowly let go of his hand. “…We need to lead them back to the boat.” He said, getting up. “We need to get back there, lead them on, take out the ramp and then jump overboard.”  
  
“Sounds like a dangerous plan.” King Frederic said, his brow furrowing.  
  
“Yeah. Especially since I can’t actually swim.” Varian admitted. “So, I’m _trusting_ you to not let me drown. Can I trust you, Your Majesty?”  
  
He looked at him, a tense moment of silence between them full of memories of the past year and a half. King Frederic nodded and took his hand again. “You can trust me.”  
  
Varian nodded. “Let’s go get their attention.” He pulled his hand free, then left the thicket, calling out the guards to get their attention. King Frederic got up and saw Varian running back his way, the guards in pursuit. “Okay, now we run like our lives depend on it. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had _loads_ of practice with that!” Varian said as he ran past him.  
  
King Frederic ran after him, keeping pace easily with his longer legs. The guards roared in anger as they gave chase, the two groups heading back to the boat. The smaller one reached it first, stepping over the fallen King and his entourage, and they ran up the ramp together. The guards stopped to pick up the sleeping group and then chased them, but by this time Varian and King Frederic had already found a place to hide.  
  
“Damn Coronans, messing with us!” One of them growled.  
  
“Don’t dish out what you can’t take.” Varian said quietly as he and Frederic moved closer together, watching as the last of them came onboard again. King Trevor was taken into his chambers on the ship.  
  
“Right…I need you to keep them distracted, I’ll go knock off the ramp.” King Frederic nodded. “Think you can do that?”  
  
Varian nodded and then ran out. “Hey!”  
  
“Found you!” A guard yelled, and Varian turned and ran off to lead them in on a chase around the ship.   
  
King Frederic ran over and unfastened the connector keeping the ramp in place, then knocked the ramp into the ocean. Then he untied the lifeboats as well and then moved on to untie the sails.  
  
“Agh!”  
  
He stopped and looked over to see Varian being held down on his knees by two men, a third kneeling in front of him. He clenched his fists, grabbed a sword from a fallen knight, and ran over with a roar.  
  
“Let him go!” He yelled, and the guards looked up in alarm and did so, pulling out their swords again. King Frederic clashed blades with them and knocked a few out before he ran to Varian and took his arm. “Ready to swim?”  
  
Varian nodded and got up and then they both ran to the side of the boat. “Take a deep breath and prepare to hold it!” King Frederic said as he lifted Varian around the waist with one arm. Varian clutched at his vest, taking a deep breath, and then they jumped off the boat and into the sea, both of them holding their breaths.  
  
The impact of the water made them both lose their grips, but King Frederic recovered quicker than Varian and grabbed him before he swam them both up and they burst to the surface with gasps for air. Varian clung to the man, his teeth chattering and his body trembling. It was a lot colder in the water than he’d expected it to be. King Frederic started to swim to the docks, then gasped and looked at Varian. “Hold your breath!” He said just before they went back down, evading arrows being fired at them.   
  
Varian closed his eyes tightly as he held his breath, clinging to the man like his life depended on it. They broke the surface and Varian coughed as he opened his eyes, panting heavily.  
  
“We’re not out of the woods yet. Put your goggles on.” King Frederic said, and Varian reached up with shaking hands to do so before clinging to him again. Then he saw King Frederic take a breath and so he did the same before they went back under, evading another volley of arrows and, apparently, a harpoon that landed inches away from where they were.  
  
With his goggles on, Varian could keep his eyes open and he watched as King Frederic steered him along through the water, the ship apparently giving chase. ‘Well,’ he thought as they swam away from the ship as fast as King Frederic could carry them, ‘at least we’re buying the painters plenty of time.’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this could have gone worse!


	20. At Sea

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frederic and Varian continue to distract Trevor's forces so the people of Corona can finish repainting the Castle of Equis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The ship chased them relentlessly, but that wasn’t so much a problem. It was the bows and the harpoons and, apparently, a troop of seals that got sent after them. King Frederic managed to find an underwater cave and swam them inside, and Varian could only let him take the lead.  
  
They found a point in the cave that would let them get up to the surface and they broke free of the water with pained gasps for air. There was a shore, and King Frederic swam them over before pushing Varian up onto the shore before he climbed up next to him, the two of them dripping wet but alive and relatively unharmed.  
  
King Frederic pushed his soaked hair out of his face, then looked at Varian. “Are you alright, Varian?”  
  
“Ye…Yes, Your Majesty.” Varian nodded, coughing a bit. “That…was not expected.”  
  
“Well, Trevor has never been known for being rational, and his people aren’t much better.” King Frederic said, taking off his vest and wringing it out.  
  
“You’re hurt!” Varian realized, looking at his bleeding arm.  
  
“Oh. So, I am.” King Frederic shrugged. “It happens. I suspect one of the many weapons sent our way struck me.”  
  
Varian looked a bit ill, then cleared his throat and unfastened his belt before untying his apron, folding it and using it to wrap up the wound. “Wouldn’t do for the King to have an open wound. Could get infected.” He said, fastening his belt back on.  
  
King Frederic hummed a bit and got up to look around. “It’s enclosed enough here. Could probably safely start a fire and dry off, wait out the danger.”  
  
Varian nodded. “…Thank you, Your Majesty.”  
  
“Hm?” He looked at him.  
  
“You didn’t let me drown.” He checked in his belt for anything they could use.  
  
“Yes, well. I couldn’t betray your trust.” King Frederic paused. “Oh my.”  
  
“What?” Varian got up and walked over to him.  
  
“Do you know what these _are_?” The King asked, his eyes shining a bit.  
  
“Uh…no.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“These are _eggs_ , Varian. Sea serpent eggs.” King Frederic revealed. “Oh, and they are _beautiful_.”  
  
Varian looked down the further length of the cave. “Uhm…if there are eggs, where are the parents?”  
  
“Oh, probably around somewhere. But look at them!” King Frederic said in awe. “I used to collect eggs. Don’t do it as much anymore, but I _do_ enjoy reading about them from time to time.”  
  
Varian felt a bit nervous. “Maybe…we should get away from the eggs.”  
  
“Oh, if only I had my journal. I’ll have to draw it from memory later.” He stepped back and walked over to Varian. “Do you want to explore the cave?”  
  
“Honestly, I want to get back to Equis and away from the sea monster.” Varian said bluntly.  
  
“Serpent.” King Frederic corrected.  
  
“Big thing that is probably going to _eat_ us that happens to live in the sea.” Varian shivered, completely unrelated to the cold.  
  
King Frederic blinked in surprise. “Oh. You’re frightened of it?”  
  
“Aren’t _you_?” Varian asked.  
  
“I used to be. I used to be frightened of _many_ things and was content to stay at home and simply do my studies. Wolves were frightening, swords were frightening, Saporians were frightening, dragons were frightening, even _cats_ frightened me. I was…embarrassing. Trevor teased me _relentlessly_ about it.” King Frederic sighed wistfully. “And then…I met Arianna.”  
  
Varian shifted in place a bit, then sat down, King Frederic sitting next to him. “And?”  
  
“She was a warrior, an adventurer. The daughter of a nobleman from Equis, she and her sister visited with Trevor one time and I fell head over heels for her. The problem is, Trevor had _already_ been trying to court her, and our rivalry increased. For her, I left the castle and braved countless dangers to try to impress her. Your…uhm…your father had to save me a few times, when he was visiting. It was a bit embarrassing. Three times, Arianna had to save me. That’s when I decided to take my fighting lessons seriously finally and learned how to actually fight and be brave and impress her.” King Frederic chuckled. “I, uh…I tried to get her a phoenix egg as a gift, that was…well, it came down to either getting the egg or saving her life from the angry mother, and I chose to leave the egg and took her hand and we fled. She was so happy she kissed me and a few weeks later we were officially engaged.”  
  
He sighed. “After that, Trevor’s pranks got worse. But, I didn’t pay it any mind. I had my beautiful fiance, and my father took down the pranks swiftly and silently so I didn’t have to deal with them. Then, a few years later, well, he passed away and I became king.”  
  
“A year after my mother and father met.” Varian remembered.  
  
“Mmhm. Then we got married and you know the story from there.” He chuckled a bit. “Who knew that a _prank_ would get us stuck in a _cave_ together?”  
  
Varian shrugged. “Could be worse. We could be stuck in a cell.”  
  
“I was stuck in one with Eugene, a couple years ago. We were squabbling like children over whether it was ethical to steal a seal or not and got caught.” King Frederic chuckled. “Imagine, an ex-thief arguing with a King over whether it’s _ethical_ to _steal_.”  
  
“Stealing a living thing is different from stealing an object. Flynn Rider doesn’t do kidnappings.” Varian shrugged. “I bet Eugene lived by the same rules.”  
  
“Ah, yes, that book.” King Frederic nodded. “I’ve never read it.”  
  
“I’ve got the entire series at home.” Varian glanced at him. “I could…loan you one or two, if you want.”  
  
King Frederic smiled. “I’d like that.” He stood up. “You’re right about us probably needing to leave, though.”  
  
Varian nodded and got up, then went to check how tight the apron was on his arm. “Alright, let’s get out of here.”  
  
King Frederic nodded and they walked over to climb into the water together before King Frederic wrapped his arm around him and then they both took a breath before diving down, heading back into the deep.  
  
Varian clung to the man as he swam them back down and out, heading out to open sea again. The boat seemed to be gone, so they broke the surface and swam with air filling their lungs.  
  
“How long do you think we’ve been gone?” Varian asked.  
  
“Judging by the placement of the sun, about three hours.” King Frederic guessed.   
  
“There’s the boat again. What do you say we get back on there and just take it over?” Varian suggested.  
  
“Hah, says the non-fighter. I’m wounded and you’re weak. We’ll just have to evade them. At least we know they’re out _here_ instead of at the castle with Rapunzel and the others.” King Frederic chuckled a bit. “But, they’d probably be faring better than we are.”  
  
“Yeah, probably.” Varian nodded, then sneezed. “Oh, sorry…”  
  
“No, no. We need to find land and get you warmed up and out of wet clothes.” King Frederic looked around, then spotted one of the lifeboats he’d untied earlier. He swam them over and pulled Varian up into it before climbing in and grabbing the oars. “Alright, we’re in a better situation now!”  
  
Varian just sneezed in response, lying limp against the boat, his eyes closed. King Frederic realized that if he’d been in the water much longer, he would’ve lost grip on him from how weak he was feeling. He focused on getting them back to dry land, moving away from the boat and towards another beach he knew of. The sun bore down on them as he rowed them to the beach and then got out to pull it onto the sand further. Then he rolled his shoulders before he walked over and lifted Varian into his arms.  
  
He was so small, so young, so fragile in his arms. King Frederic felt a pang of grief and remorse for all he’d done to this child before. And for what? Paranoia? Varian was right, _he_ was the one that had turned Varian into the monster he feared. The poor child didn’t deserve _any_ of what he had been put through the past year and a half.  
  
He carried him away from the beach and laid him down against a tree before getting up to figure out where he was. ‘The castle shouldn’t be too far from here.’ He thought, then walked over and climbed up the tree Varian was laying against to get a better view. ‘Oof. It’s been too long since I climbed one of these.’ He thought, making sure to test each branch before he pulled himself up. He reached high enough and shielded his eyes from the sun as he looked out. He could see the castle of Equis in the distance, and he gauged the distance before he climbed back down and knelt next to Varian, checking his forehead and cheeks. He was flushed and warm and clearly getting sick.  
  
He felt guilty, but he also couldn’t help but think that the boy brought this on himself by coming up with such a reckless plan. Who came up with an idea that involved throwing yourself into open sea when you _couldn’t swim_? This was the same kind of reckless behavior that had put his father in amber for a year! What did Frederic have to feel guilty about? He’d done as the boy wanted, he’d kept him from drowning, and now they were back on the Equis mainland, as planned.   
  
‘Still,’ he glanced at the apron wrapped around the wound on his arm, ‘maybe he considered this possibility and thought it would be a necessary risk to make sure the guards didn’t return to the castle and find everyone repainting the building. He didn’t seem too upset about getting soaking wet and possibly sick, just at the possibility of being eaten.’  
  
He lifted the boy into his arms and started walking towards the castle, holding him close in a firm but gentle grip.  
  
“Mmn…” Varian groaned softly and slowly opened his eyes. “Your Majesty…?”  
  
“It’s alright, Varian. We’re almost back with the others.” He assured him as he continued walking. “Go ahead and rest, you’ve done well.”  
  
Varian hummed a bit and closed his eyes, too exhausted to argue.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel paced back and forth anxiously. Her father had left to join Varian on the docks four hours ago, and there was no sign of them. Worst of all, when she’d gone to the docks to offer them a snack, they were both gone and there was no sign of King Trevor or his ship, either. She’d since seen the ship in the distance, but no sign of Varian or her father.  
  
The painting was going great, and everyone was having a great time, but she was getting anxious. Was leaving Varian with her father a mistake? What if he _hurt_ him again? She remembered what she’d heard during that talk in the throne room and felt ill. Why had she ever suggested this? Stupid, stupid Rapunzel! She’d put Varian in danger, all because she was naïve and thought her father would--  
  
“Your Majesty!” Eugene ran past her and she looked up to see her father coming back, his clothes soaked and Varian in his arms, Varian also soaked from head to toe. She gasped and ran over to them.  
  
“What happened?” She asked anxiously.  
  
“We jumped overboard, then swam around evading arrows and harpoons and seals. It’s a fascinating story, I’m sure he will give you a full recount once he is feeling better.” King Frederic assured them. “How goes the painting?”  
  
“Well, uhm, we’re almost done with the inside, but…” Rapunzel looked at Varian anxiously. “Jumped overboard?”  
  
“Yes, it was Varian’s idea to lead the guards that were chasing us back to the boat and then jump overboard. Except he can’t swim, so I had to do all the swimming.” King Frederic sighed. “Reckless, but effective. They’re still searching for us out there.”  
  
“Uh…uhm, okay.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
Eugene took off his jacket and draped it over Varian. “Let’s find him somewhere warm and comfortable to lie down.” He suggested.  
  
They nodded and went inside, snagging a bedroom to let Varian sleep while they finished the painting. When it neared the eight-hour mark, Rapunzel went in to get him and gently woke him up so he could see their handiwork before they left.   
  
The place was completely transformed with purple and gold, Coronan suns on every door and floor. When they took him outside and lit torches to find their ways home, King Frederic pointed out all the changing to the outside of the building. Varian smiled brightly as the man leaned over a bit, his hands on his shoulders as he pointed out every new detail, silently committing it to memory.  
  
“He’ll never be able to top this.” Frederic chuckled. “Thank you, Varian.”  
  
“Meh, just doing my part.” Varian shrugged. “Let’s go home before they wake up.”  
  
“Alright, let’s move out!” Eugene said to the people. They all got on carts or horses and set out. Rapunzel smiled as she saw Varian climb up onto her father’s horse with him and held up her hand to high-five Eugene as he passed her.  
  
“Mission accomplished.” Rapunzel said cheerfully.  
  
Because nothing brought together two unlikely companions like a good, successful prank.  
  
\--  
  
Quirin paced the kitchen anxiously, refusing to sleep until Varian was brought home safely. He heard a knock at the door and ran to open it, pausing when he saw King Frederic standing next to Varian. “…Your Majesty.” He greeted.  
  
“Thanks for bringing me home, Frederic.” Varian said as he walked inside.  
  
“Go straight to bed, you won’t get better if you stay up.” King Frederic said sternly.   
  
“I know.” Varian assured him. “See you next time.” He walked off to the hall, then let out a soft gasp as they heard running footsteps and then he was pulled into strong, familiar arms. “Andrew, I’m fine!”  
  
“Are you sure?” Andrew knelt down to look him over. “You’re sick.”  
  
“We jumped overboard, I caught a fever or something from being in wet clothes. It was _my_ idea.” Varian waved it off.  
  
“Come on, let’s get you to bed.” Andrew led him down the hall.  
  
Quirin watched them go, then looked at King Frederic. “…How did it go?”  
  
“Splendidly.” He nodded. “And…I think we’re moving past our…problems.”  
  
“Hm…” Quirin pursed his lips. “Well…as long as he feels comfortable around you now.”  
  
“He trusted me to keep him from drowning, and I didn’t let him drown, so I suppose that’s proof enough for him that I wish to make amends.” King Frederic nodded. “Well…it’s gotten late. Good night, Quirin.”  
  
Quirin nodded. “Good night.”  
  
They stared at each other for a bit before the King stepped out and left, Quirin closing the door behind him silently.  
  
Even if Varian was willing to forgive, the father was not quite ready to. He looked towards the hallway, then sighed, looking at his left hand. “How soon is ‘soon’?” He murmured. “And is there any way I can _prevent_ it?”  
  
\--  
  
The next morning, King Frederic received a letter sent by messenger full of angry expletives, promises of revenge and “PURPLE IS NOT MY COLOR AND YOU KNOW IT!”. He chuckled with pure delight as he pinned it up in his office and sighed contentedly as he leaned back in his office chair.  
  
He would not deny, he did have many doubts when Rapunzel initially brought up the idea to try and mend the rift between him and Varian, but it worked out splendidly. Even if Varian ended up sick from it, he didn’t seem upset about it and even said “see you next time”. He trusted him to not only keep him alive, but to take him home and gave the possibility of a “next time”. Seeing a genuine smile on that boy’s face was worth every single expletive in that letter.  
  
He heard a knock at the door and looked up to see it opening, Rapunzel and Queen Arianna stepping inside. “Hey, dad.” Rapunzel smiled, holding something behind her back. “Got something for you.” She walked over and brought a painting forward, showing it to him. “Ta-da!”  
  
It was a picture of the repainted Castle of Equis, with King Frederic, Eugene and Varian standing in front of it with glowing green alchemy bombs and empty buckets of paints around them. “I wanted to commemorate the event. I also, uhm, painted this.” She nodded to her mother, who brought forward another picture. It was one of King Frederic and Varian, both soaking wet but happy, Varian curled up in his arms with all the trust in the world.  
  
King Frederic reached out and gently took the second picture, smiling fondly at it before he got up and went to put it on his wall. “Thank you. Why don’t we put the other one on the wall in the hall? Or you could ask Varian if he wants to put it in his home. I’m happy with this one here.”  
  
Rapunzel beamed. “I’ll ask him today!”  
  
“No, not today. He’s resting.” King Frederic smiled. “We can keep it in here until he’s feeling better.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Oh! I have something to do today! Enjoy the paintings!” She ran out.  
  
Queen Arianna watched her go, then walked over to look at the second painting with King Frederic. “…I’m still furious with you.” She said calmly. “But…you’re making an effort to make amends. And they seem to be working.” She turned to him. “…You can sleep in the bedroom again.”  
  
He gently took her hand and she smiled, leaning in to kiss him sweetly. “It’s a lovely picture. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to witness the real event.”  
  
He sighed softly and nodded, looking up at the picture again. “We still have some work to do…but, we’re making a good start. I’ve proven he can trust me with his life.”  
  
“He took a big risk, and it paid off.” She nodded. “I’m proud of him, and you. And I love you, even if you make mistakes.” She leaned her forehead against his and then he pulled her close into a tight hug. “Thank you for making an effort to make amends.”  
  
“I hope I _never_ become like my father again.” He said softly. “I will try to avoid such a thing from ever happening again. From now on, I will be both a good king _and_ a good father.”  
  
“And a good husband.” She smiled up at him and then they kissed once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The mission was a success! In all intended ways. Though Quirin isn't happy about Varian getting sick!


	21. Apple Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While on a trip to Neserdnia, Maximus and Ruddiger get into a scuffle that has disastrous results for their humans!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Alright, girls, you ready to go?” Rapunzel asked as she and the young ex-thieves loaded up a cart of stolen goods.  
  
“Yep!” Kiera nodded.  
  
“Where you all off to?” Varian asked, coming out of his lab, Ruddiger hopping off his shoulders to snag an apple from a barrel.  
  
“We’re going to Neserdnia, by cart, to return some stolen goods.” Rapunzel explained. “I figured that I could make it go smoother for them by being their representative. Plus, I’ve been wanting to reconnect with the Princesses of Neserdnia!”  
  
“Neserdnia, huh?” He looked thoughtful. “I’ve been…kind of wanting to go there myself, they have some alchemy items that can’t be found in Corona.”  
  
Rapunzel’s eyes lit up. “Why don’t you come with us?” She asked brightly.  
  
“Come with who where?”  
  
They looked over to see King Edmund had arrived, a bright smile on his face. “Another quest, little one?”  
  
“Just a shopping trip.” Varian shrugged. “You know, in another Kingdom I’ve never been to. No biggee. What brings you back here, Your Majesty?”  
  
“How goes the search?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Ah, the moon witch Cassandra evades us like water slipping through our fingers, but Hector’s got his beasts on her scent. I came back to talk to Quirin, actually.” He admitted. “And also to spend some time with my son.”  
  
“Rapunzel, we gotta get going.” Kiera reminded her.  
  
“Right!” Rapunzel nodded. “Varian, do you need anything before we go?”  
  
Varian looked thoughtful. “Uhm, might be good to get some more alchemy bombs, just in case.” He headed back inside and Rapunzel giggled.  
  
“Princess Rapunzel, may I ask that you take Hamuel with you?” King Edmund turned to her. “As Quirin’s son, and one of the only two future Brotherhood bloodlines, I want to be sure that Varian is safe.”  
  
“Oh, uhm…okay.” Rapunzel nodded. “I mean, if he wants to come.”  
  
Hamuel flew off his shoulder and fell into the cart. Kiera and Catalina looked at him dubiously. King Edmund beamed and then walked inside. “Enjoy your trip, Princess. Don’t worry, with Hamuel on your side, you won’t have to worry about a thing!”  
  
Varian came back out and Ruddiger hopped onto his shoulders. “Alright, I’m ready to go.” He nodded.  
  
“Great! Let’s get going!” Rapunzel said cheerfully as they got onto the cart. “Oh, what’s Andrew up to?”  
  
“He and Eugene are hanging out today.” Varian shrugged. “Eugene just showed up earlier and asked if he wanted to hang out and they took off.”  
  
“Where are you going with Varian?!” Quirin ran out to them.  
  
“Just on a little trip.” Rapunzel said cheerfully. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep him safe.”  
  
He looked at them uncertainly, then looked to the side as King Edmund came up and placed his hand on his shoulder with a smile. “…Alright; but remember that he _just_ got over a fever from the _last_ little trip you all took him on.”  
  
“I’ll be careful, dad. No jumping into water this time, promise.” Varian grinned.  
  
Quirin sighed and placed his hand on Varian’s. “…Come back safe, understand? And be careful, Cassandra is still out there somewhere, and I don’t want her to hurt you.”  
  
“If we meet Cassandra, I’m _hoping_ I can talk to her and get her to, you know, _not_ do what she plans to.” Varian said, nodding firmly. “But…we’ll try to avoid that. Okay?”  
  
Quirin sighed. “When did you grow up so much…” He squeezed his hand gently. “Be safe, and…have fun.”  
  
Varian nodded, and then Rapunzel gripped the reins. “Let’s go, Maximus!” She said cheerfully.  
  
They all set off, Maximus pulling the cart out of the Kingdom. Varian clutched at Rapunzel’s indestructible hair, feeling a bit nervous about leaving the Kingdom again so soon after his trip to Equis, and to somewhere much _farther_ than Equis, a neighboring Kingdom.  
  
Rapunzel smiled. “Don’t worry, this is going to be fun.”  
  
He slowly let go of her hair, smiling shakily. It would be nice to get a break, and not have to worry about the judging stares of the townsfolk this time. The scroll wasn’t going anywhere, and he was having a good time with Rapunzel and the girls.   
  
Still, he couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous. “So, uh…why is Hamuel here?” He asked, looking over his shoulder at Ruddiger poking at the crow.  
  
“Uhm, King Edmund asked us to bring him, he seemed to be convinced that you’d be safer if he was here.” Rapunzel shrugged.  
  
Pascal climbed down off her shoulder and went to join Hamuel and Ruddiger.  
  
Varian stared at the crow dubiously. “…Oh, yeah. I feel _so_ safe with him here.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled.  
  
\--  
  
Pascal and Hamuel were flying behind the group, Pascal on top of Hamuel as he flew upside down. They flew over the cart and then landed on top of Maximus, who irritably grunted before knocking them off and back into the cart.  
  
“Oop!” Rapunzel got up and went to check on them. “Careful, you two!” She picked up Pascal. “We don’t want to break this stuff before we get to Neserdnia.”   
  
“That’s right.” Kiera said, looking at her sister. “’Cause, once me and Catalina return this last sack of stolen loot, we will have _officially_ put our thieving days behind us!”  
  
“Aw, and that pile of stolen treasure was so _comfortable,_ too.” Varian said teasingly. Catalina smiled shyly, recalling when she’d swiped him away the first time she turned into a werewolf. She still didn’t know _why_ she’d taken him, but it was a fun little in-joke.  
  
“Hey, remind me what it was you wanted to get?” Catalina asked.  
  
“A copper-plated alembic!” Varian said excitedly. “Do you have any idea how many poly-alchemical substation tests I’ll be able to run?!”  
  
Kiera stared blankly. “…I’m sorry I asked.” She said, staring ahead. Varian winced a bit, too used to having his interests dismissed.  
  
Rapunzel got back into her spot between them. “Hmm, we’re happy to have you along, Varian, no matter _what_ reason you agreed to come with. Plus, I’m hoping once Max and Ruddiger spend some time together, they can finally become friends!”  
  
“Hah, not if there’s apples involved.” Varian muttered, glancing at his sleeping lab partner.  
  
Maximus let out an irritable neigh in reply to their conversation and then, right on cue, he spotted an apple. Ruddiger woke up when he heard his interested nicker and left his spot by Varian’s feet, rushing to go snag the apple first.  
  
“Hey, what?!” Varian frowned, seeing him go. “See? Every time.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “Oh, it’s not so bad. I’m sure we’ll find another one on the way.”  
  
Ruddiger snagged the apple and shoved a pinecone in Maximus’ mouth before jumping down with his prize, looking back at the stallion.  
  
Varian watched their interaction closely, and Rapunzel watched him with amusement. His brow furrowed as Ruddiger started to physically taunt the horse, balancing the apple on his bushy, striped tail.  
  
Pascal slapped his claw to his face, knowing full well that this was going to go badly. He went to climb onto Maximus’ nose and waved his claws anxiously, trying to calm him down. Maximus reared up with a neigh and Ruddiger moved further away, the apple still on his tail. He reared up again with another neigh and slammed his hooves down, aggressively shaking the cart behind him.  
  
“Whoooa!” The riders all screamed in alarm, and then they calmed a bit when Maximus did.   
  
“Whoa!” Rapunzel said, looking at them. “What happened?”  
  
Maximus showed her the apple he had in his mouth, Ruddiger’s grip tight on said apple. Before anyone could say anything to them, Catalina caught their attention, having gone back to check on the treasure. “What is this?”  
  
They looked over at her to see her picking up a pink shell necklace. “I don’t remember stealing it.” She said, looking at them.  
  
“Maybe it got mixed up. Could be one of the Saporians’.” Varian suggested.  
  
“But, I’ve never seen it before, and everything in here is from where the treasure was kept.” Catalina held it out for them to see.  
  
“Oh.” Rapunzel looked at it in awe. “Whatever it is, it’s _beautiful_.”  
  
“And I bet it’s pretty valuable.” Kiera chimed in.  
  
“Hm.” Varian looked forward, then swallowed nervously when he realized where they were going. “Uh, gang, hi, hello, speaking of valuables? We, uh, might wanna stow the loot.” He looked at them. “We’re coming up on Deadman’s Curve and, from I hear, it’s a hotbed of highway robbery.”  
  
“Well, it’s a good thing you’ve been learning to fight.” Rapunzel said, nudging him with a teasing smile. He looked at the dagger strapped to his belt, unsure if he could take on any bandits.  
  
“Yeah, uh, I can’t really do much more than really bad self-defense.” Varian said nervously, gripping her hair anxiously. She looked at him hiding behind her hair and wasn’t sure if she wanted to laugh or ask him if he wanted her to untie her hair so he could just use it as a blanket to hide in.  
  
“You’ve got your alchemy though.” She reminded him. “And we’re all pretty good fighters. Don’t worry, we’ll be fine.”  
  
“Besides, V, _real_ thieves don’t waste their time on here.” Kiera assured him. “It’s mostly for hacks and knuckleheads.” She knocked on her head.  
  
Someone landed in front of them and Varian flinched as the others yelped in alarm before looking annoyed.  
  
“Hand over the goods!” The ruffian said, pointing his sword at them.  
  
“Or, in this case, both.” Catalina said in annoyance.  
  
“Hi, Dwyane." The girls all said. Varian lowered Rapunzel’s hair, feeling a little bit more at-ease. Just slightly.  
  
“Ah, nuts.” The ruffian said, lowering his sword. “’Ello, Princess.”  
  
“So…you _know_ him?” Varian asked quietly.  
  
“Dwayne, what did we talk about the _last_ time you were caught trying to steal?” Rapunzel asked sternly.  
  
“Don’t do it.” He kicked a rock dejectedly.  
  
‘Wow, okay, so this guy is _not_ a threat.’ Varian thought.  
  
“I promise, I’ll never steal again!” He insisted. “In fact, I’m gonna go look for an honest job right now. Nice running into ya. Enjoy your trip!”  
  
He started to walk by. Varian noticed Ruddiger climbing up onto Maximus and jumped off the cart, startling the man as he dashed past him and yanked his raccoon off the horse’s saddle. “Ruddiger, that’s enough!”  
  
The raccoon chattered at him and Dwayne looked at them before looking at Rapunzel with a shrug before he went into the brush.  
  
“Come on.” Varian carried him back to the cart and sat down, holding the critter in his arms with a huff.  
  
“What do those two have against each other, anyway?” Rapunzel asked as Maximus continued on.  
  
“I have no idea. Isn’t Maximus supposed to be a highly-trained guard horse?” He struggled to hold Ruddiger in his lap. “No, you’re not going anywhere, you little troublemaker.”  
  
Ruddiger chattered at him and then nuzzled him. Varian sighed and loosened his hold a bit. “Come on, stay back here with me. Let the guard horse work, okay?”  
  
Ruddiger curled up in his lap and Varian sighed, nodding. “So, that guy…who was he?”  
  
“He was just this really pathetic wannabe thief that honestly really sucked at the job.” Kiera explained. “Nothing to worry about, V.”  
  
“So… _not_ like the Stabbingtons, then.” Varian nodded.  
  
“No, not like the Stabbingtons. They’re actually scary, Dwayne’s just kind of adorable, and kind of annoying at most.” Rapunzel assured him. “I bet you’d be able to handle him just fine.”  
  
“You think so?” Varian said, moving a hand to his dagger.  
  
Ruddiger suddenly bolted from his lap before he could grab him. “Hey! Ruddiger!”  
  
The raccoon was on Maximus’ back and grabbing an apple from his saddlebag before he could get his name out fully.  
  
“What is his _deal_?” Catalina asked as the animals started to bicker.  
  
“I have no idea. Maybe he’s just bored?” Varian sighed. “He can’t be _hungry_ , or it’d have been _eaten_ by now.”  
  
Ruddiger darted away and up a tree. Maximus pulled the cart behind him as he gave chase, running around and around the tree.   
  
“Guys! Cut it out!” Rapunzel cried as the riders hung on for dear life as Maximus yanked them around recklessly, and then bumped into each other as they finally stopped, the raccoon holding the apple up tauntingly.  
  
Varian glared up at the tree. “Ruddiger! Get _down_ here!” He said sternly, and the raccoon’s smile dropped as he looked guilty, finally realizing that Varian was actually mad at him. Before he could return it, though, Pascal appeared in the tree and stole the apple.  
  
“Pascal!” Rapunzel called, realizing what’d happened.  
  
Pascal tripped on Hamuel, who apparently got thrown onto the branch and decided to take a nap, and the apple went flying. Pascal caught it on his own way down, Ruddiger came after him, and the chase was back on with a disgruntled Hamuel cawing at them while the humans tried to keep from being thrown off along with the treasure, this time Pascal being involved in the mess.  
  
“Next time,” Varian said with a grunt as they banged a wheel on something, “we take a balloon.”  
  
A wide swing had them all screaming and hanging on for dear life as the cart was spun in a circle by the careless guard horse. They finally stopped and the apple bounced away, lying on the ground.  
  
Hamuel picked up the fallen shell necklace and chucked it at the apple, catching it in the fruit before using the golden chain to pull it towards him. The other animals made aggressive sounds and Hamuel held up the apple like it was the most weary thing in the world before Ruddiger jumped on him, earning an angry squawk in reply. The others started to try to take it from him and Rapunzel finally had it.  
  
“Enough!” She yelled, standing up in her seat.  
  
The animals looked up at them, the apple caught between them. Rapunzel glared at each of them in turn. “Maybe it’s time for you all to shake hands and get along!” She paused, sitting down. “I mean, hoof and tail or beak and paw…is that what raccoons have? Paws?” She looked at Varian, thoroughly distracted from her scolding.  
  
He just gave her a vague glance before focusing his attention on Ruddiger again, a look of pure disappointment on his face. “I can never remember if it’s paws or feet.” She went on as Ruddiger looked at his hands in confusion before he looked back at Varian with a guilty expression.  
  
“You. Know. Better.” Varian said sternly.  
  
He hated this, having to employ his father’s methods in scolding, but if just _telling_ him to stop didn’t work, maybe making him feel ashamed would. He pushed himself out of the cart and walked over to pick up the apple, glaring down at his pet.  
  
“Back of the cart. Now.” He said firmly, pointing to it. Ruddiger dejectedly went to climb into the cart and sat down among the remaining treasure that hadn’t been thrown out. Then he shot Pascal a cold look and the lizard sheepishly returned to Rapunzel and hid in her hair. Maximus at least had the grace to look ashamed as he looked forward and Hamuel messed with his ruffled feathers.  
  
“V, come on.” Catalina coaxed him, walking over to take his hand, which still held the apple. “Let’s go find the treasure that flew out, it’ll calm you down.”  
  
Varian sighed and handed Rapunzel the apple-necklace and walked off with Catalina to find the treasure.  
  
Hamuel hopped up onto the seat and tugged at the necklace he’d thrown into the apple. Ruddiger let out a disgruntled noise as he watched, looking over at Varian and Catalina picking up fallen treasure before creeping closer to the apple.  
  
“Are you trying to get the treasure out?” Rapunzel asked Hamuel. “Here, let me try.” She gently smoothed his feathers. “You were just trying to help, huh?”  
  
Pascal squeaked at her but she didn’t reply, seeming to be ignoring him for the bird.  
  
“It’s stuck in here pretty tight, huh?” Rapunzel said as she tried to pull the necklace out.  
  
Ruddiger suddenly dove at them, trying to wrestle the apple away as they all struggled with the necklace and apple. Varian gasped and ran over with Catalina as he saw a golden glow coming from the necklace, and then suddenly all the humans were surrounded by a golden and blue glow before they found themselves sucked into a strange place full of pillows and a couch.  
  
“What…what happened?” Rapunzel asked as they all slowly recovered from the ordeal.  
  
“…Magic, apparently.” Varian sighed.  
  
\--  
  
The apple had fallen to the ground, and the animals all gathered around it before the other three shot Ruddiger an annoyed look. Ruddiger shrank back and chittered angrily, trying to defend himself. Then he grabbed the apple and dashed off, struggling to get the necklace out of the apple. Maximus charged after him and Hamuel and Pascal followed suit, Hamuel taking to the air.  
  
The necklace got caught on something and it whizzed back, passing by the pursuing animals. Maximus noticed, but between the apple and the necklace, his instincts and hunger drove him after the apple. He managed to shake them, just before he got his head stuck in a tree.  
  
Hamuel walked over to the necklace and peered into it, attempting to see if he could see the people sucked inside before he walked off to grab at the chain to drag it to safety.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gosh darn it, Ruddiger!


	22. Magic Prison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel, Varian, Keira and Catalina have found themselves in a magical prison with no exit! Can they get out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The humans inside stared up at the crow as he left their view. “Okay…Either we’ve somehow been magically shrunk down and imprisoned inside the shell pendant, or…”  
  
“Or?” Catalina prompted.  
  
“Yeah, sorry. I was hoping I’d think of something more positive-sounding by the time I finished that thought, but…” Rapunzel shrugged helplessly.  
  
Varian sighed. “Sorry.”  
  
“For what, V?” Keira looked at him.  
  
“This is Ruddiger’s fault and, by extension, mine.” Varian said bitterly. “I now know what dad went through every time I caused trouble for everyone. He’s completely out of control, and now we’re…” He gestured around them. “Where are we?”  
  
“In a shell pendant.” Keira helpfully supplied.  
  
“It’s okay, though, we’ll get out of here! I mean, I’m sure that they’re all out there planning how to get us out of here right now.” Rapunzel said encouragingly. “And, even if they don’t, I’m sure we will find our own way out! Come on, we’ve been in _much_ worse situations!”  
  
“Like what?” Varian raised an eyebrow. “Prison? Because I didn’t get out of there on my own.”  
  
“Like…uhm…” Rapunzel looked thoughtful. “Remember when I got turned into a bird, I told you about that?”  
  
“Yeah, you nearly lost your mind.” Varian raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Buuuut, I didn’t, and it all worked out! Things are going to work out, don’t worry!” Rapunzel said encouragingly. “I’ve even been trapped in _my own mind_ and it worked out! So, things _will_ work out.”  
  
“What have I ever done to _deserve_ this?!” Keira despaired.  
  
“D-Didn’t you steal from, you know, _dozens_ of people?” Varian reminded her in disbelief.  
  
“Oh, right.” She said, rolling her eyes. “We’re doomed.” She tossed one of the pillows at him. He caught it and tossed it back and it hit Catalina in the face. “Hah! You missed!”  
  
“Don’t worry, guys, it’s going to work out!” Rapunzel said, turning back to them just in time to get hit in the face by a wayward pillow Varian dodged.  
  
“Whoops.” All three said, as Rapunzel slowly knelt to pick it up.  
  
“Soooooo, you want to play _that_ game, huh?” She raised an eyebrow, then raised her arm high and chucked the pillow with all her might. Keira yelped as she was hit and fell back and Rapunzel grabbed another pillow before launching it at Varian and Catalina. They grabbed pillows as they dodged and ran to the sides, throwing pillows at her while Kiera got up and grabbed another.  
  
“I’ve been doing pillow fights since before you were _born_!” Rapunzel declared. “Granted, it was with the _wall_ , but you know what I mean!” She threw another pillow at Varian, who caught it and threw it back with a grin.  
  
“Considering I have zero experience, I think I’m doing pretty okay.” Varian shrugged, then ducked to avoid another pillow being thrown at him.  
  
The room was full of laughter and pillows being thrown as they ducked around, barely aware of what was going on outside their prison, lost in their game. By the time they all got exhausted and fell down together on a pile of pillows, the landscape outside their little window had changed.  
  
“Uh…what’s going on?” Rapunzel asked in realization.  
  
“I think…we’re moving.” Catalina said as they all sat up.  
  
“…Where? And _which_ of them is carrying us?” Varian asked.  
  
“We’re gonna have to check.” Rapunzel decided, then walked over to stand under it. “Okay, Varian, you climb up onto my shoulders. Angry, you climb up onto his, and Lina, you get up on hers.”  
  
“Hold on.” Varian took off his bag and set it down to dig into it, then tossed a blue ball at Catalina. She yelped and laughed as she was encased in a bubble and floated up. “What do you see?”  
  
“Okay, let’s see here.” Catalina looked out. “Ugh.” She made a face. “ _Somehow_ , we’re being carried by _Dwayne_.”  
  
“What happened to all those trusty _pets_?” Keira asked as Varian tossed a ball that broke the bubble and then caught Catalina when she fell.  
  
“Apparently, they were distracted.” Varian shrugged, setting her down.  
  
Rapunzel walked over and sighed. “So…what do we do?”  
  
“Get sold, probably.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Okay, let’s try looking at this from an optimistic point of view.” Rapunzel suggested.  
  
“ _Wrong_ person to ask.” Varian sighed and walked off to the side, then paused and kicked aside a pillow to fully look at a plaque on the floor. “Rapunzel, look at this!”  
  
“What is it?” The girls gathered around.  
  
“A clue to our escape, I think.” Varian said, kneeling to read it. “’You are now prisoner of the shell. To escape its curse, you must’…oh no.” He groaned. “Well, so much for my promise to dad.”  
  
“What?” Rapunzel laughed a bit, sitting next to him. “’To escape its curse, you must return it to the briny deep of the sea or remain inside it evermore’.”  
  
Varian sighed. “I’m gonna end up _soaking wet_ again. I’ll be _lucky_ if dad lets me go out of the Kingdom _again_ at this rate!” He despaired while the sisters giggled.  
  
“Right. Okay, so we need ideas.” Rapunzel started to pace before she started to look around. “Let’s look for another exit!”  
  
“The plaque indicated that there _was_ no other way out.” Varian said, but he joined them all in trying to find an exit, anyway.  
  
“ _No_ trapdoors,” Rapunzel said, after checking around the place, “ _no_ secret passages, not even a hidden compartment!”  
  
“No food, either.” Varian remarked. “I mean, I packed ham sandwiches if anyone’s hungry, but they’ll only last a _day_ , tops.”  
  
“What kind of enchanted talisman _is_ this?” Rapunzel said in disbelief.  
  
“Looks like we’re gonna be here for the rest of our lives.” Kiera declared.  
  
“Which won’t be too much longer, the human body can only survive without food and water for up to two months at most.” Varian said, walking over to sit on the couch with a sigh.  
  
“Heeey, get your own couch!” Catalina said, playfully shoving him.  
  
“Fine, I’ll take the big bed in the middle.” Varian shrugged, getting up and walking over to climb onto it.  
  
“Maybe this won’t be that bad, after all.” Catalina said casually, then stopped and picked up a skull of a parrot before she got a sly look on her face.  
  
“We could probably ration the sandwiches and water I have in my bag.” Varian said thoughtfully. “Might increase our chances a little.”  
  
“I don’t think we’ll be in here longer than a day, Varian.” Rapunzel said with a giggle. “I’m sure Maximus and the others are already on the way to rescue us.”  
  
“Sure _hope_ so.” Varian sighed, looking up at the jewel above him.  
  
“Hi, roomie!” Catalina said, holding the parrot skull next to his face. He yelped and sat up in alarm. “My name’s Scully!” She poked her head up over the edge with a grin. “I got a bone to pick with you!”  
  
“Cat, don’t play with dead bodies.” Varian frowned. “…Where’s the rest of it?”  
  
“I dunno.” She shrugged, climbing to sit on the bed with him.  
  
“Hey, I already called this. You got the couch, remember?” He shoved her off with a grin.  
  
“Let _me_ play with the dead body!” Kiera ran over to them.  
  
“Guys, shh!” Rapunzel went over to them. “Do you hear that?”  
  
They went quiet and realized they could hear Dwayne singing to himself.  
  
“ _It’s Dwayne! Who’s gonna sell the necklace for a fortune? Dwayne is, that’s me! I say D-W-A-N—uh, I mean, D-W-A-Y-N-E!_ ”  
  
“Oh, brother…” Kiera ran her hand down her face.  
  
“ _Told_ you we were getting sold.” Varian said with a shrug.  
  
Rapunzel looked thoughtful. “Wait a minute! If _we_ can hear _him_ , I bet _he_ could hear _us_!” She turned to them. “I got it! We talk to Dwayne!”  
  
“Talk to Dwayne?” The other three asked.  
  
“Yeah! I bet, if we can move that jewel a little, we could get him to hear us!” Rapunzel said excitedly.  
  
“How are we going to do that?” Varian asked.  
  
“We stack up!” Rapunzel said cheerfully.  
  
The other three groaned at the idea but agreed to give it a try.  
  
“What are we going to talk to him about?” Catalina asked.  
  
“Why don’t we pretend to be his conscience?” Rapunzel suggested.  
  
“Why don’t we tell him the truth and offer him a reward for helping us figure a way out?” Varian suggested.  
  
“Hm… _that_ doesn’t sound like as much _fun_.” Rapunzel said thoughtfully.  
  
The girls laughed and then they looked up back up at their window. “It’s getting dark out there…Catalina, can you change into your werewolf form and move the jewel a little?” Varian suggested.  
  
“You just want to avoid the _stacking_.” Rapunzel grinned.  
  
“I’d rather avoid the potential head trauma when we all crash down, yes.” Varian nodded.  
  
“Are you _sure_ we can’t pretend to be his conscience? It’ll be _fun_!” Rapunzel pleaded.  
  
“Rapunzel…” He sighed.  
  
“Oh, alright.” She sighed. “We’ll try it your way.”  
  
Catalina changed form and then reached up to push against the jewel until it shifted. Rapunzel climbed up onto her back, to get close to the top as she held a lampshade in her hand. They watched as Catalina pushed the jewel slightly and then Rapunzel cleared her throat before speaking into the lampshade. “Dwayne!”  
  
“Huh? What?!” He yelped. “Who said that?”  
  
“Dwayne, it’s Rapunzel! I need your help!” Rapunzel called.  
  
“Huh? What? Princess? Where are you?” He looked around nervously.  
  
“Dwayne, the necklace you stole is magical, I got trapped inside it by accident!” Rapunzel explained. “And I _really_ need your help letting us free!”  
  
“Well…” He looked thoughtful.  
  
“Offer a reward.” Varian suggested.  
  
“I’ll give you a reward!” Rapunzel offered.  
  
“What _kind_ of reward?” He asked.  
  
“Money, food, do you have a place to live?” Rapunzel suggested. “We’ll talk it over fully once we’re out, but I _really_ need your help!”  
  
“Well…alright, then.” He looked at the necklace. “What do ye need me to do?”  
  
“I need you to throw the necklace into the sea.” Rapunzel explained. “Just go find a beach and toss it into the water. It’ll set us free and I can start talking to you about your reward!”  
  
“Er, alright. Can it wait until tomorrow, though? Got food cooking, and I’m kind of tired.”  
  
“Speaking of which,” Kiera looked at Varian. He nodded and got out the sandwiches.  
  
“The sooner the better would be best, all we have in here is furniture and a mirror.” Rapunzel admitted.  
  
“Oh, a-alright, I’ll save ye some grub then, and we’ll go after dinner.” He assured her. “Ye just sit tight, yeah?”  
  
“Great, thank you! You’re the best!” Rapunzel said cheerfully, then lowered the lampshade before climbing down and accepting a sandwich from Varian. Catalina changed back and accepted one as well.  
  
“We can _trust_ him, right?” Varian asked. “You said he’s not like other ruffians?”  
  
“He’s a thief, but not a kidnapper. Having us in here changes the game completely. Besides, the reward is too tempting for him to turn us down.” Rapunzel assured him before she took a bite of the food. “Mm!”  
  
“I wonder where the animals are?” Kiera asked thoughtfully.  
  
“I don’t know. But I’m having a long talk with Ruddiger when we rejoin them.” Varian said sternly.  
  
Rapunzel smiled. “Come on, it’s not so bad. Everything is working out, and we got to have some fun time together in here, didn’t we?”  
  
“Don’t excuse his actions, Rapunzel. If Ruddiger hadn’t misbehaved, and Maximus wasn’t so easily goaded, we wouldn’t be here at all.” Varian took an aggressive bite of his food.  
  
“Well…Pascal didn’t really help matters.” Rapunzel sighed heavily. “But, everyone makes mistakes.” She smiled and nudged him lightly. “Human or animal _, no one_ is perfect. I don’t know what their drama is, but I think they were all just _bored_. We’d been traveling a while.”  
  
“Next time, balloon.” Varian said pointedly.  
  
She giggled. “Okay. Next time, we take a balloon.”  
  
He nodded, then continued to eat.  
  
\--  
  
True to his word, Dwayne set off to find a beach to toss them into the water. They spent the time waiting for him to find one by doing another pillow fight and exchanging “scary true stories”.  
  
“And then, the mirror people were trapped in the mirror again forever, with all of us safe and sound outside of it! The end.” Rapunzel sighed. “Ah, I have _so_ many scary stories from the trip, haha.”  
  
“You tell one, V!” Catalina encouraged.  
  
“Oh no, you don’t want to hear mine.” Varian shook his head.  
  
“Why not?” Kiera asked.  
  
Varian sighed. “It’s…not really a story for kids.”  
  
“ _You’re_ a kid.” Kiera pointed out.  
  
“Yeah. I know.” Varian sighed. “Alright, I’ll tell you. My story is about the high-security guard with the glowing eyes.”  
  
“Ohhh, good start.” Rapunzel said, and they scooted closer.  
  
Varian got up and pulled out one of his glowing alchemy balls before he put out the lantern, casting them in darkness before he walked over and sat with them again, holding the green alchemy ball in his hands. “I first met him a week after Zhan Tiri’s blizzard, though I didn’t know who he was at the time. He was one of many men that terrorized me until I almost completely lost my mind. I met him again in prison, he guarded our cell. He had this unnatural fixation on me, called me ‘little bird’ and said things to me that _frightened_ me. But, the scariest thing about him was that, when he got _excited_ , his eyes glowed a _bright, sickly green_. His name was _Lucas_.”   
  
He gripped the alchemy ball tighter. “For the months that I was in prison, he terrorized me; messing with my mind, hurting my body, dragging me out to Old Corona for a twisted game of tag I could never win, dangling freedom in front of me and laughing when I was unable to reach it. His teeth were sharp, his eyes glowed in the dark, his grip felt like a vice on my body and his laughter sent shivers down my spine. But the most _terrifying_ part is that, when Juniper came to break us out, he escaped her wrath, and he’s still _out_ there somewhere.”  
  
The girls all gasped in terror. “S-Seriously? Where _is_ he?” Kiera asked.  
  
“I don’t know. But I know he’s not human.” Varian got up and went to light the lantern again before putting his alchemy bomb away. “My only other scary story is about the time I got consumed by the darkness, but you all know that story.” He shrugged. “It’d just be, you know, from _my_ point of view.”  
  
Rapunzel picked up the lampshade. “Dwayne? How’s it going?”  
  
“Well, it’d be going better if I wasn’t worried about this big ol’ horse chasin’ me!” Dwayne said, sounding out of breath.  
  
“That must be Maximus.” Rapunzel said. “We better let him handle it. Uhm, who has a scary story next?”  
  
“Wait, you don’t think me _kidnapping you_ was scary?” Catalina asked, looking at him.  
  
“Uhm…no, it was just kind of surreal. And is it a kidnapping when I kind of _willingly_ went?” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Hm…” The girls all pondered that question.  
  
“Well, I guess I can go again. There was that time that I almost killed everyone with a strange, new incantation.” Rapunzel chuckled nervously. “Though, I don’t remember most of it, just how it was described to me by, uhm, Cass and Adira.”  
  
“What happened?” Kiera asked.  
  
“Well…” Rapunzel sighed. “From what she said, I…uhm…Varian, you know the spell. The Decay Incantation? It was the first time I used it. Apparently, I went into such a deep trance that Cass, Hookfoot, Adira and Fidella were all suffering, near death, until Adira managed to get up somehow, probably because she was Brotherhood, and shoved me into the water. As soon as it went in, I woke up and life returned to everything.”  
  
Varian blinked. “Wait…is _that_ what was supposed to happen?”  
  
“What do you mean?” Rapunzel asked, confused.  
  
“You warned me that it would be bad if I didn’t wake you up, but I didn’t feel weakened at all by the spell.” Varian shrugged. “Then, when the water didn’t work, I grabbed your arms to try to shake you awake and my gloves got destroyed.”  
  
Rapunzel gasped, recalling that his hands had been strangely bare after she’d woken up. “Wait, but you weren’t hurt? At all?”  
  
He shook his head. “Why?”  
  
“When Cass did the same thing, the one hand she grabbed me with got horribly burnt through her glove, so that she could barely use it anymore!” Rapunzel said, her brow furrowed.  
  
“…Weird.” Varian shrugged. “Maybe it’s because my dad is Brotherhood?”  
  
“…Maybe…” Rapunzel looked thoughtful.  
  
Varian looked up. “Hey, I see the sky.”  
  
“Dwayne?” Rapunzel used the lampshade. “Where are we now?”  
  
“Well, I didn’t find a beach, but I found a cliff overlooking the sea.” Dwayne replied.  
  
“A beach, please. Varian can’t swim.” Rapunzel informed him.  
  
“H-Hey!” Varian blushed. “Don’t tell him that!”  
  
“Well, okay…” The view changed to look at trees again as he apparently turned to go. Then they were suddenly looking at the sky again before Maximus was in view, neighing furiously.  
  
“Maximus!” Rapunzel used the lampshade. “Maximus, calm down! I need you to calm down!”  
  
The horse neighed again anxiously.  
  
“Maximus, Dwayne is helping us!” Rapunzel tried to explain.  
  
“Where are the others?” Varian asked.  
  
“Maximus, are the others with you?” Rapunzel asked into the lampshade.  
  
“Niiiice horsie. Be good.” Dwayne said anxiously.  
  
“Maximus, please!” Rapunzel called.  
  
Maximus drew back, grunting at Dwayne, probably. As Dwayne sat up and they could see the woods again, they could see the other three animals rushing over.  
  
“Give me that.” Varian took the lampshade. “RUDDIGER! STAND DOWN!”  
  
The raccoon stopped short in alarm and his ears and tail drooped. Hamuel and Pascal stopped as well, though Hamuel ended up taking a nosedive as a result.  
  
“I’m okay, Ruddiger. We need you guys to work with Dwayne and help him find a beach to drop us into the water and set us free. Can you all get along long enough to do that?”  
  
The animals all looked at each other, then reluctantly nodded.  
  
Rapunzel took the lampshade back. “Thank you! We’re counting on all five of you to set us free of this magical prison!” She said cheerfully.  
  
“Er, you can count on us, Princess.” Dwayne said awkwardly.  
  
“Maximus, use that amazing nose of yours to find us a beach!” Rapunzel ordered. He nodded and put his nose to the ground, sniffing along.  
  
Rapunzel smiled and lowered the lampshade. “We’ll be out of here in no time.”  
  
“Right. Pillow fight!” Kiera grabbed a pillow and smacked Varian with it before running off laughing.  
  
Varian grabbed a pillow and chucked it at her and the fight began anew, a nice distraction from the animals and Dwayne taking way too long to get them out of here.  
  
Finally, they were seeing water outside their jewel window and they realized too late the jewel was ajar before the water came flooding in. Rapunzel grabbed onto Varian and the girls and they all started to glow before they separated and found themselves twirling out of the water before they all sat down on their butts in the shallows, soaking wet but free of their magical prison.  
  
“Oh, phew, it worked!” Dwayne said from the beach as the animals all came into the water to reunite with their humans.   
  
Ruddiger hopped into Varian’s lap and nuzzled him, making little cooing sounds of apology. Varian’s expression softened and he held him close. “Ah, I can’t stay mad at you.”  
  
“Come on, let’s go find the cart.” Rapunzel said as Pascal climbed onto her shoulder again and they all got up and left the water.  
  
Ruddiger noticed Varian was shivering again and climbed up around his shoulders, wrapping his tail around his neck to try to warm him up.  
  
“Hey, look, I managed to bring Scully out with us!” Catalina said, holding the parrot skull up.  
  
“Why do you still _have_ that?” Varian asked.  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “Oh, I am _so_ doing a painting about today.”  
  
“Maybe leave out the part about us being dropped into the ocean.” Varian suggested.  
  
The girls laughed and then they all headed off, Dwayne following behind the group.  
  
“Hey, Varian, do you think your dad would mind Dwayne living in Old Corona?” Rapunzel asked, looking at the thief.  
  
“As long as he’s actually planning an honest living. You know, we need to get some people in Old Corona that _aren’t_ ex-criminals or terrorists.” Varian chuckled.  
  
“Why? We’re just your kind of people!” Kiera nudged him with a grin.  
  
“Heh, yeah. I’ve fit in better with you guys than I ever did with the people that lived there before.” Varian nodded.  
  
“Speaking of ‘ex-criminals’, we still need to get to Neserdnia. And maybe, on the way back, we can go to Ingvarr and see the Iron Lion!” Rapunzel offered.  
  
“That would be amazing!” Varian said excitedly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Old Corona has a new resident!


	23. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a new threat in Corona, one sent by Cassandra to force people to witness their worst fears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The Brotherhood were persistent, she’d give them that. And, worse of all, Cassandra still hadn’t figured out how to control the black rocks without feeling intense, uncontrollable anger. She wanted to be able to summon them at will, no matter _what_ mood she was in, but she just couldn’t!  
  
She had lost the warriors, for now, and decided to try to focus on learning to control her powers. “Nngh…” She held out her hand, focusing and slowly making one come out. Once out, though, she couldn’t make them go back in!   
  
“I can’t control it…” She groaned, falling to her hands and knees.  
  
“You will, Cassandra, in time.” Her young, blue companion said as she floated over to her.  
  
“I thought, by taking the Moonstone, I’d be completely unstoppable…but I can’t control it…” She clenched her fists and stood up, bringing them to her chest over the Moonstone. “What if I can’t figure this out? What will happen to me? What about my Destiny? My dreams?”  
  
“You need to calm down.” The ghostly girl assured her. “You will get it in time.”  
  
“What if I can’t? Oh, god, what if I can’t beat her? What if they took the Moonstone from me?!” Cassandra said in horror.  
  
“Cassandra, you must remain—”  
  
“I don’t want to lose, I’m not gonna lie, I can’t lose or I’ll lose _everything_!” Cassandra grabbed at her hair, her hair and eyes glowing brighter as the Moonstone sparked. Red, glowing rocks burst out of the ground and she gasped, backing away from them. “What…what are these?” She asked, watching as they stabbed out of the ground, heading down towards the road ahead to an unknown location. “What’s happening?”  
  
“You are connected to the rocks.” The girl reminded her patiently. “They respond to your feelings. Even fear.”  
  
“…Fear?” Cassandra said, watching as the rocks continued to stab out of the ground aggressively.  
  
\--  
  
Varian sat in his lab, working into the night hours on the Demanitus Scroll. He squinted at the scroll with frustration. “What does it _mean_ , Demanitus?” He muttered, looking back at his notes before squinting at the scroll again.  
  
Maybe he should sleep, but he’d been wasting far too much time with running off on prank missions and little trips with Rapunzel and Cassandra was coming and Rapunzel was counting on him to translate this thing. One little piece was hard enough, but it’d been a year and now he had a whole scroll to work on.  
  
“Varian!”  
  
He gasped, hearing his father screaming for him in a horribly familiar way. He dropped his quill and got up to run off to see what was going on, throwing the door open. “Dad! No!” He cried in alarm, seeing his father being encased in amber again. “No, not again!” He pleaded, running over to him.  
  
“Serves you right, _traitor_.” He heard the Capital’s cobbler say, then looked over to see a crowd of angry townspeople advancing on him, surrounding him.  
  
“This is what you deserve!” Old Lady Crowley declared.  
  
“Dad?” He looked at the man anxiously.  
  
“Varian!” His father screamed.  
  
“Varian!”  
  


Varian gasped sharply and looked up at Andrew’s concerned face looking down at him. “…It was…a dream?”  
  
“You fell asleep at your desk, buddy.” Andrew said gently. “You’ve been working too hard.”  
  
Varian wiped at his eyes and got up. It was morning, not night, and he went to open the door to outside and saw his father pushing a cart of apples.  
  
“Morning, son.” Quirin greeted as he passed by him.  
  
“Hey, everything okay?” Andrew asked, walking up next to Varian.  
  
“Y-Yeah, I just…nightmare.” Varian swallowed nervously, then looked forward. “What the…”  
  
“Ah, you noticed.” Andrew said as Varian walked over to examine some odd, glowing red rocks jutting out of the ground. “They showed up sometime last night.” He said as Ruddiger came over to investigate it, too.  
  
“What are they?” Varian asked.  
  
“Don’t know. But don’t get too close!” Andrew warned him. Varian stopped, then noticed Ruddiger was reacting to something Varian couldn’t see, backing away from the rocks in fear.  
  
“They’re certainly…different.” Varian said, moving closer to the rocks to examine them. “…Have they reached the Capital?” He looked towards it, his brow furrowed.  
  
\--  
  
“Last up on our tour, the north balcony.” Lance said as he approached the balcony doors. “Er, uh, _technically_ the last stop is the _royal_ _kitchen_ , but I lost kitchen privileges after last month’s incident.” He opened them and let the group of curious tourists step out onto it. “Word to the wise, a meatball catapult may _sound_ like a brilliant idea in theory but, in practice…” He paused. “Well, it’s a long story. Let’s not talk about it, let’s just move on.”  
  
The ground suddenly shook and the tourists cried out in alarm as ominous, glowing red rocks burst out of the ground, creating large cracks that damaged the earth, and started to climb up the castle wall towards them.  
  
A man yelled as he started to fall and Lance grabbed onto his leg before he could fall too far. “Okay, biceps, let’s do this!” He said to himself, trying to pull the man back up.  
  
The balcony started to crack under him and he cried out as he tried to keep himself from fall as well, still holding onto the man. Tourists tried to pull him up, but he wasn’t getting very far.  
  
To his relief, he saw the two Princesses running his way. Rapunzel let down her hair and caught him and the man like a trampoline and Juniper used a wind spell to catch them in midair when they bounced off and safely lowered them to the ground.  
  
“Phew!” Lance said, checking himself and the tourist over.  
  
“I call _that_ move, ‘the slingshot’.” Rapunzel said with a smile.  
  
“Give it up for Princess Rapunzel!” Lance said, prompting cheering from the tourists, then smiled at Juniper. “And Princess Juniper, of course.”  
  
“Pft, I don’t need any glory.” Juniper assured him, then looked over at the red rocks before walking over to them with Rapunzel. “This doesn’t look good, Raps.”  
  
“You’re right…” Rapunzel frowned. “It doesn’t. Why are they _red_?”  
  
“Everybody okay?” Eugene asked as he joined them.  
  
“We’re fine.” Rapunzel assured him with a smile, then looked back at the rocks. “But, we have some new additions.”  
  
She walked towards her and Juniper reached out to take her hand. “Careful, Rapunzel. Magic is very volatile; we don’t know what these things will do.”  
  
“I’ll be okay.” Rapunzel assured her, gently easing her hand out of hers and placing it against the rock. She gasped and drew it back, shaking her hand a bit. “Cassandra?”  
  
Juniper took her hand and checked it for any damage, then let go when she determined she was okay.  
  
\--  
  
Varian looked around anxiously as he walked through the Capital City. Ruddiger had suddenly bolted after running into one of those rocks close to the city, and he wished he'd asked Andrew to come with him. Unfortunately, he’d stayed back with the other Saporians to try and shake his father out of whatever trance the red rocks had him in and so it was on him to inform Rapunzel about the new danger.   
  
It looked, though, like it might already be here. He hoped he was wrong. “Ruddiger?” He called, looking around. “R-Ruddiger!”   
  
At least he could feel some semblance of relief that Dwayne wasn’t in Old Corona this morning. Supposedly, he was working the docks today, a job Rapunzel had helped him get. “Ruddiger!” He called again, turning a corner.  
  
He let out a groan as he walked down another street. “Wh—Ruddiger, where _are_ you?!”  
  
It was a good thing, he thought, that Ruddiger hadn’t changed form. But, that seemed to be caused by intense anger, not fear. Same with Catalina, who he hadn’t seen yet today.  
  
He heard terrified chittering and dashed after it, hoping to find his beloved friend. “Hey! Buddy, where you headed?!” He called, running into an alleyway to follow him.   
  
He was seeing red rocks as he dashed down a flight of stairs and he hopped over a couple as he continued to chase the raccoon. He jumped too far, though, and hit the wall across from him with a grunt before he recovered and headed after where he’d seen him run to, back into the main street.  
  
He skidded to a stop when he almost collided with the cobbler, Feldspar. “Oh!” He yelped, stepping back a bit. “Sorry. Hi.” He said, feeling a bit guilty. The last time he’d been this close to the man, he was being roughly held by Varian’s Saporian Enforcers and Juniper had punched him for being unable to reach his quota, which Varian had coldly watched before ordering the man to not miss it again or he’d be sent to the stocks.  
  
Not a good memory for either of them…  
  
The man raised his head indignantly. “Don’t you have a _kingdom_ to overthrow or something?” He asked dismissively.  
  
Varian chuckled nervously. “Yeah…uhm…Look, I…I’m sorry about…”  
  
The baby in the arms of the woman next to him started to wail and Varian awkwardly took his leave, pausing to look over his shoulder. “H-Have you seen a raccoon around here?”  
  
They just walked away from him and he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “…Yeah. I deserved that.” He headed on, looking for Ruddiger.  
  
He heard a weak chirruping and turned to see a shadowy figure falling to the ground in an alleyway. He ran over to check on him and gasped. “Ruddiger!” He saw him getting up and running and ran after him. “Hey, hey, come back here!” He ran through and stopped, seeing a scrawny, gray cat bathing itself. He sighed and turned around, then gasped and ran over to where Ruddiger was next to a red rock. “Hey!”  
  
“Buddy, I was looking for you!” He knelt next to him, then realized that he was as red as the rocks around him. “Wha—what are you—” He cut himself off as horror gripped him.   
  
Ruddiger was completely frozen in an expression of pure terror, mid-run. He waved his hand in front of him, trying to get a reaction. “H-Hello? What’s wrong?” He asked, hoping for something, _anything_. He sighed and picked him up, then looked up as he heard the heart-wrenching sound of rocks bursting out of the ground, accompanied by screams of fear.  
  
He felt a hand on his shoulder and gasped, looking up to see Xavier, the blacksmith and his childhood teacher, standing behind him. “X-Xavier…”  
  
“I’ve been hoping to find you.” He said gently. “We haven’t spoken since you returned to the side of good again.” He looked up. “However, now may not be the best time for a chat.”  
  
“No…probably not.” Varian looked towards the screams. “I need to find Rapunzel.” He held Ruddiger close to him and ran off.  
  
\--  
  
All over town, people were having hallucinations. Maximus was hallucinating himself chained up and unable to chase a thief, while Attila was being chased by living burnt baked goods nearby him.  
  
“Max!” Lance ran up to the horse to try to calm him down. “Max, it’s okay, buddy, it’s only rocks!”  
  
Maximus broke free of his “chains” and fled from the rocks in terror.  
  
“Hm. Has everyone lost their minds?” Lance asked, confused.  
  
“Oh, Laaaaaance!”  
  
He looked up, wondering where he’d heard that voice before and yelped. “A clown spider?!” He shrieked, backing up from the giant spider with a clown’s head that was sitting on a roof.  
  
Not just _any_ clown, but the same clown that he’d briefly been stuck with when he was very little, that Eugene had rescued him from. He could never forget that voice, that face, that makeup.  
  
“Now, _sing_!” He taunted, reminding Lance of his horrific stage-fright.  
  
“NO!” He screamed, running away from him—it.  
  
\--  
  
“Looks like there’s more of those red rocks _here_ , too.” Eugene said as he walked with Rapunzel and Juniper.  
  
“How far do they reach?” Juniper wondered.  
  
“You can’t make me sing in front of all those people!” Lance cried as he ran by them. “NOOOOOO!”  
  
“Lance?” Juniper called after him, but he didn’t hear her. “…Weird.”  
  
“Hey, now, what’s gotten into him?” Eugene asked, looking at the Princesses with a shrug.  
  
“From what we’ve seen, everyone seems to be acting terrified of something. It’s like these new rocks are making people see their worst fear.” Rapunzel said thoughtfully.  
  
“Yeah, but the rocks aren’t doing anything to me.” Eugene said, shrugging before walking on. He stopped short when he heard someone collapse behind him and turned to see Gothel and Cassandra standing over Rapunzel, who was in chains. “Rapunzel!” He cried in alarm. “No! How?! You’re dead! And _you_ —you’re not here!”  
  
“Hahahahahaha, did you really think I’d stay away forever?” Cassandra taunted. “I was just finding a way to bring my mother back from the dead, so we can make _everyone suffer_ for tearing us apart _together_!”  
  
“Eugene!” Rapunzel cried, shaking off her gag.  
  
“No! Don’t hurt her!” Eugene cried, running towards her.  
  
“Eugene!”   
  
He gasped sharply as he felt a stinging pain on his cheek and blinked, looking at Juniper. “J-Juniper?”  
  
“Wh-What did you see?” Rapunzel asked shakily, standing behind Juniper.  
  
“I…” Eugene faltered. “I-It’s nothing.”  
  
Juniper sighed. “Well, that ‘nothing’ almost made you run over Rapunzel. Let’s just try to avoid the rocks, huh?”  
  
Eugene nodded, swallowing nervously. “Yeah…yeah, good idea. H-Hey, how come _you’re_ not affected?”  
  
She sighed. “We Saporians are trained against mental attacks from a young age. Truth serums, interrogation techniques, hypnotism, it all doesn’t work on us.”  
  
“R-Right.” Eugene nodded. “Because you were enemies to Corona before, and so you had to prepare for capture.”  
  
She nodded. “Though…Andrew didn’t do as much of the magic practice, so _he_ might be affected by this. Especially after his time in prison.”  
  
“It’s okay, guys, we just need to stay calm and we’ll figure this out.” Rapunzel assured them. “Don’t worry, Eugene. I’m okay.”  
  
He smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re okay.”  
  
“H-Hi?”  
  
They all jolted and looked over to see Varian standing near them, holding a strangely-red Ruddiger in his arms. “I-I hope I’m not interrupting.”  
  
“No, kid, it’s okay.” Juniper assured him.  
  
“What happened to Ruddiger?” Rapunzel asked as Varian set him on top of a barrel. Pascal hopped off her shoulder and on top of the frozen raccoon, where he knocked on his head worriedly and only got the sound of knocking on glass.  
  
“Um, I’m not quite _sure_ ,” Varian admitted, “but I think it has something to do with these new rocks.” They looked over at a cluster of red rocks nearby and Eugene cringed back from them as Varian went on. “I mean, I’ve only been able to study them for a few hours, b-but their _effects_ appear to be…” he tensed, “ _extremely_ dangerous.”  
  
“Oh yeah?” Eugene asked anxiously. “ _More_ dangerous than bringing people’s _greatest fears_ to _life_?!” He held his head in terror.  
  
Varian nodded solemnly. “Yes, well, if people remain under that fear spell for too long,” he picked up his terrified pet, “it looks like they’ll become _frozen_ with terror… _permanently._ ” He said grimly.  
  
Juniper looked thoughtful. “If this is intentional, that’s a genius way to take down a population. You know, looking at it from the point of view of an ex-villain.”  
  
“Well, gang,” Rapunzel said brightly, “then it sounds to me like we need to turn these fearful frowns upside-down!” She reached out and adjusted Ruddiger’s face so he would be smiling, but it just looked like a terrified, pain-filled grimace. “Oh, wow, okay. Sorry, that just made him wound up looking creepier.” She said, looking at Varian as he gently undid her mistake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This doesn't look good at all...


	24. Stone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian has a plan, but it's a risky one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Think _this’ll_ keep people away from these rocks?” Rapunzel asked as she finished painting a sign.  
  
Juniper looked over it and snickered. “Oh yeah, that’ll work.”  
  
Eugene came over to look at it. “Couldn’t you have made us look a little more, I don’t know, _brave_?” Eugene asked, looking at the picture that depicted him jumping into Varian’s arms as they both cowered from the rocks with the words “STAY AWAY!” over them. “Or at least swapped our positions?” He muttered.  
  
“I _really_ wanted to get the point across.” Rapunzel said, then grinned. “Besides, you’re so _cute_ when you’re screaming in terror.” She rubbed his cheeks teasingly before leaning into his chest for a hug.  
  
“W-We-he-hell, that _is_ true.” Eugene admitted, then paused, looking Rapunzel over. “H-Hey, Sunshine, I know that Juniper’s had her whole Saporian training and all, but how come _you’re_ not affected by these rocks? I mean, why aren’t _you_ screaming your head off at some vision of your worst fear?”   
  
“Because…” Rapunzel started, glancing to the side, “as long as I have my friends with me,” she rubbed Pascal’s head, “I’m not afraid of anything.”  
  
“Guys, I-I think I might have an idea.” Varian spoke up, drawing their attention to where he was kneeling by one of the rocks.  
  
\--  
  
“Now, theoretically, if we sever this chain of rocks,” Varian said as he circled part of a graphic he’d drawn up, using one of the servant carts as a backdrop for his models and graphs, “using one of my alchemical solutions,” he emphasized proudly, then went on, “then we can cut off the red rocks’ fear power.”  
  
“Oh-ho, we can _so_ cut off their power.” Rapunzel said enthusiastically.  
  
“You just need a cavern that runs deep enough.” Varian explained. “I don’t know if the Herz Der Sonne tunnels are _quite_ deep enough, but…”  
  
Rapunzel stood up. “Deep cavern…” She said thoughtfully, then gasped. “I know _just_ the place!”  
  
They heard a woman screaming and turned to see Faith’s older sister running by in terror. They went out just in time to see her stopping next to the red rocks in the hallway and cringing away before she was turned into a red rock statue.  
  
“Oh no…” Rapunzel said as they went over to look at her. “It’s getting _worse_!” She looked at them. “We _can’t_ let this happen to _anybody_ else.” She turned to Varian. “Your plan starts _now_.”  
  
Varian nodded. “I need to get my alchemy from Old Corona.”  
  
“I’ll take him on a horse.” Eugene assured her. “ _You_ make sure that no one else turns into a red rock statue!” He grabbed Varian’s wrist and pulled him along as they hurried off to the stables.  
  
\--  
  
When they returned, they found that Rapunzel had gotten a change of clothes, with a pink blouse, purple vest and pink leggings with a short, purple skirt, her trusty blue satchel at her side as always and Pascal on her shoulder. “What’s _this_ about?” Eugene asked.  
  
“After talking about my last trip into the tunnels, Juniper suggested that I get something a _little_ easier to move around in.” Rapunzel shrugged. “Does it look okay?”  
  
“It’s, uh, different. _Cute_ , but different.” Eugene nodded.  
  
“You look great.” Varian said, gripping the strap of his backpack nervously.  
  
“Hey, relax.” Juniper walked over and made sure his backpack was fastened shut and secure. “How was it back home?”  
  
“Horrible. Andrew and dad are both statues.” Varian said shakily.  
  
“I thought as much.” Juniper said grimly. “Drew’s strong, but not as strong as he _could_ be. After we’re done here, I’m going to have Clementine and Kline put him through more mental training.”  
  
“He withstood interrogations.” Varian said, turning to her.  
  
“This is a whole other mess, kid.” She rubbed his head. “Hang in there and be careful. You’re our only hope against these things.”  
  
“No pressure.” He said nervously, nodding.  
  
He sighed and walked over to sit down, taking off his backpack to look through it, hoping he’d brought enough.   
  
“Right. Eugene, Lance, Juniper, it’s up to _you three_ to try to keep people’s spirits up.” Rapunzel said, turning to them.  
  
“Ah, it’s _probably_ best that _I_ stay behind the scenes.” Juniper said, smiling and shaking her head. “I might actually be the _cause_ of some of these’ peoples nightmares, I was…kind of horrible to them.”  
  
“That’s _why_ you have to help out, so they know you’re not something to _fear_ anymore.” Rapunzel smiled. “Please?” She looked at Eugene and Lance, who were both acting scared of something. “Besides, you’re the _only_ one that isn’t affected by these things, thanks to your training. I need _you_ to keep _these_ _two_ from turning into red statues.”  
  
Juniper nodded. “Alright.” She walked over and clapped her hands on both their cheeks, knocking them out of their trance, catching Ruddiger when Lance dropped him in shock.  
  
“Come on, guys, I’m _counting_ on you. You _can’t_ let fear take hold of you or _anyone_ for too long, or…” She looked down at Ruddiger in Juniper’s arms grimly.  
  
“Don’t worry, Sunshine, we’ll think of something.” Eugene assured her.  
  
“Yeah, with us two putting our heads together—” Lance cried out in terror and Juniper slapped him to knock him out of it. “Ow. Uhm, thanks.”  
  
“I’ll keep an eye on them.” Juniper winked at Rapunzel. “ _You_ _two_ just be careful, alright?”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, then turned to Varian. “Ready to go?”  
  
Varian nodded, getting up after putting his backpack back on. “Yeah. I think.”  
  
“Let’s get going.” Rapunzel smiled and patted his shoulder before they walked off together.  
  
\--  
  
The tunnels of Herz Der Sonne were just as dark and dismal as the last time they were here, but they had such a dark context to them now that they knew Rapunzel’s family history that the eerie red glow from the rocks seemed…oddly fitting.  
  
“Nooooo problem. We’ve got this.” Varian said as they walked through them, Rapunzel writing in her book ahead of him. “No problem, we’ve got this.” He chuckled nervously, glancing around at the red rocks surrounding them on all sides.   
  
Pascal watched him with amusement, then looked towards a fly buzzing by.  
  
“You okay, Varian?” Rapunzel asked, turning to him after they stepped over a large root. “Because, you’ve said ‘no problem, we’ve got this’ _twenty-three_ times now.” She showed him a book that had a picture of him frightened on one page and tally marks on the other. “Look, I’m actually keeping track. Heh.” She smiled at the picture.  
  
Varian chuckled a bit. “Aww, that’s…I’m fine. Really.” He assured her. “Uh, you know, just trying not to set off the _three-thousand traps_ down here!”  
  
“Yeah, my ancestor didn’t make it easy to get through here.” Rapunzel said, nodding. “But, relaaax. We’ve been through these tunnels too many times for that to—” She was cut off by Pascal accidentally setting off a trap when he was trying to get a snack flying by.  
  
The floor suddenly started to open up under them and she screamed, “Look out!” before they both started to fall, both of them scrambling to hang onto the opening floor-stones.  
  
“My supplies!” Varian cried in alarm as some of them fell out of the bag he’d failed to fasten again properly earlier. Oh, _why_ did he ever unfasten it after Juniper fastened it for him? Dummy Varian!  
  
The mixture of fallen chemicals caused an explosion that shook the area and he started to lose his grip on the stone he was barely hanging onto. He let out a scream of terror, reaching out for anything to grab, and then Rapunzel’s hair came down so he grabbed it, hanging on for dear life as she pulled him up.  
  
“Ohh!” He cried with relief. “Oh, thank you.” He landed and let go of her hair.  
  
“Are you okay?” She asked anxiously.  
  
“I’m fine.” He took off his backpack to check the damage. “Oh, but we’ve only got _one_ bottle of my solution left.” He said grimly, taking it out and looking at it.  
  
“Well, then.” She smiled. “We’ll just have to make it count.”   
  
He held onto the bottle like his life depended on it and walked past her with a haunted expression. She watched him go, then gave Pascal an impatient and annoyed clearing of the throat when she saw him about to try to nab another fly. He closed his mouth, looking guilty.  
  
\--  
  
“Lance, Juniper, I’ve _got_ it!” Eugene declared. “We are going to throw a _talent show_!”  
  
“You wanna do a talent show? _Now_?” Lance asked. Juniper raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Yes! Now is the _perfect_ time for a talent show!” Eugene insisted. “Think about it! The production will be _so_ entertaining, the people won’t even _remember_ to be scared!”  
  
“ _Unless_ someone does something that _reminds_ them of their _fear_.” Juniper pointed out.  
  
“Ah! Get away! No!” A kid bumping into Eugene before running on.  
  
“Dragons! Dragons!” Nigel screamed.  
  
“Oh-hooooo, so the Royal Advisor is scared of dragons, hmmmm?” Juniper smirked as she watched him go.  
  
“Juniper, we’re trying to help people _not_ be scared.” Eugene reminded her.  
  
“There are dragons _everywhere_!” Nigel screamed.  
  
“Oh, I know. I’m just plotting for the future, when he’s _not_ likely to turn into a—” She watched as he turned into a red statue. “…Wow.”  
  
“Aaaand…our show’s gotta start… _now_.” Eugene decided.  
  
\--  
  
“Not much further. We’re almost there, Varian.” Rapunzel assured him. “Have that solution of yours ready.”  
  
Varian stopped walking and looked down at the bottle in his hands. Rapunzel looked over and then walked over to rejoin him. “Varian, whatever the red rocks are showing you, they’re _just_ visions. They’re _not_ real.”  
  
“But, they are.” He said grimly, then held up the bottle. “Do you _know_ what this _is_?”  
  
“It’s what’s gonna help us sever the red rocks’ power.” Rapunzel replied, confused about his behavior.  
  
“Yes, but it’s also the _same_ compound that encased my father.” He said bitterly, his expression one of pure self-loathing. “You see, the red rocks make everybody _else_ see hallucinations, but what _I_ see is something that _really happened_.” He held the bottle closer to him, staring down at his reflection in the glass, his teeth clenching as he continued on. “This stuff _ruined my life_. Because of _this_ , I did—I did _terrible—_ ” He gasped as the bottle slipped out of his shaking grip and Pascal caught it with his tongue before it hit the ground.  
  
“Oh, great snag, buddy!” Rapunzel praised.  
  
Varian took the bottle back gingerly and held it close with fear in his eyes. “If that had _smashed_ , then Corona would’ve been done for, and _everyone_ would hate me _even more_ than they do now. Not that I blame them…” He sighed and hung his head, his shoulders slumped and his arms dropped to his sides.  
  
“Varian,” she placed her hand on his shoulder, “you can’t be so hard on yourself.”  
  
“That’s easy for _you_ to say. You’re the _embodiment of the Sundrop_. You know, the—the wonderous and magical _Sundrop_.” He said, looking at her with a mixture of disbelief in her words and adoration.  
  
“Ah! You hear that Pascal?” She smiled at him. “He called me ‘wonderous and magical’.”  
  
Pascal made an “aww” motion, smiling at Varian with his claws clasped together. Varian blushed and tried to backtrack. “No, what I’m saying is that for ordinary people, like me, fear…” he rubbed the back of his neck, “is just a little bit more debilitating.” He dropped his hand to his side again.  
  
Rapunzel smiled and took his hand in hers, holding it gently as he looked up at her in surprise. “Varian…there is _nothing_ ‘ordinary’ about you.” She assured him, then pulled him along and he willingly followed her with adoration in his eyes.  
  
\--  
  
“So, not only can I not lower the _black_ rocks, but now I’ve got… _these_ to deal with.” Cassandra said, gesturing to the red rocks in front of her. Throughout the course of the day, she had watched people run in terror and then turn into red statues, frozen in motion with fear forever in their eyes.  
  
“You will figure it out. Concentrate.” The girl offered, as helpful as ever. “You must be able to fully wield the power of the Moonstone. As long as you doubt yourself, you will forever be weak and Rapunzel will continue to take everything from you.”  
  
Cassandra clenched her fists. “No.” She held out a hand to the rock. “Come on… _lower_ , damn it!”  
  
“Concentrate.” The girl repeated.  
  
“Argh!” Cassandra stood up. “What am I _missing_?! Is it because she stole some of my power?! Is _that_ why the rocks won’t obey me?!” She watched as more black rocks came up with her outburst. She sighed and gripped the black streak in her hair. “How do I get back the stolen power?”  
  
“By destroying Rapunzel, of course.” The girl said calmly.  
  
“…I have to kill her?” Cassandra pursed her lips. “I wanted her alive to see me rule her Kingdom, though. I wanted her as my Lady-in-Waiting.”  
  
“Then you will forever be without some of your power.” The girl said gently.  
  
Cassandra sighed. “I’ll figure it out. Right now, I need to figure out how to control these stupid rocks!” She held out a hand towards the rocks again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian's not having a good time, luckily Rapunzel is with him!
> 
> ((A/N: I intended to do an insert art of Rapunzel's new outfit, but I didn't get around to drawing it so I'll have to do that later.))


	25. Brave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The townspeople are terrified, and it's up to Eugene, Lance and Juniper to help them face their fears. Meanwhile, Varian and Rapunzel face their own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Welcome, one and all, to Corona’s first ever talent show!” Eugene declared as he stood in front of the curtained stage. “Now, let’s turn up the talent!”  
  
Everyone looked terrified.  
  
\--  
  
Juniper sighed as she watched from backstage as Vladimir revealed how he made ceramic unicorns. “And now, we’re gonna add some happy little eyeballs. There.” He chuckled. “This guy’s got blue eyes.”  
  
“Unicorns!” The cobbler screamed before running away.  
  
“ _This_ is what I was talking about.” Juniper said, looking at Eugene.  
  
“Give it time.” He said, watching as Old Lady Crowley stood on top of barrels.  
  
“In my job, I fold a _lot_ of laundry.” She started. “So, when I play cards, the _last_ thing I’m gonna do…is _fold_!”  
  
There was an awkward, terrified silence before she yelled. “LAUGH!” and then people only got _more_ scared.  
  
Eugene cringed.  
  
The next one up was Catalina, who was standing on barrels. “Gather close, one and all,” Kiera started, walking into view, “for the truly astounding feats, the likes of which you have never seen before.”  
  
Juniper got up, her body tense.  
  
“Standing beside me today is a young woman, my sister. You know her as Catalina, but I know her as—”  
  
They suddenly felt an arm around each of them, yanking the girls off of it before the curtains closed and they were dropped on the ground behind it. They groaned and looked up to see Juniper standing over them. “Uh…”  
  
“Were you about to have your sister change into her werewolf form _when people are literally turning to stone out of fear?_ ” Juniper asked sternly.  
  
They looked a bit sheepish. “We…thought they’d find it cool?” Catalina said awkwardly.  
  
Juniper shook her head. “Think of something else to show off or stay off the stage. We’ve already had _one_ guy run off because he turned out to be scared of _unicorns_ , you think a _werewolf_ is a good idea?”  
  
They walked off, dejected.  
  
“Aw, it’s okay.” Lance knelt in front of them. “I love your werewolf form, Catalina.” He hugged them both.  
  
Juniper walked over and sat back down, tapping her knee.  
  
“Do…re…mi…mi, mi, mi…” Attila practiced.  
  
Lance came over to him. “No, no, no! You’re singing all wrong!” He insisted. “Stand with your feet hip-length apart, knees relaxed, do _not_ raise your chin, it puts tension on your voice and, _please_ , breathe through your diaphragm!”  
  
They heard screams and Eugene looked out to see more red rocks were coming out, and people were backing away in fear.  
  
“We’re doomed! Doomed! There’s nowhere to hide!” A man yelled as he ran over to hide behind red rocks and instantly got turned into a red statue.  
  
“Attila!” Lance sighed. “Not like _that_! Like _this_!” He cleared his throat before singing. “ _Fiiigaro. Fiiigaro. You have to diiiig through the beeelly! In through the noooose. Figaro me, figaro you, figaro me, figaro her, figaro dog, firago cat—_ ”  
  
“Lance.” Eugene walked up to him.  
  
“Huh? Uh, what?” Lance looked at him.  
  
“I just figured out who’s up next.” Eugene smiled. “You. _You_ are gonna calm the people of Corona down by singing!”  
  
Lance laughed, as if it was a joke, then looked at him. “What…?”  
  
“He’s right, you’re really good.” Juniper got up and walked over to him. “I bet you could make _everyone_ forget about their fear.”  
  
Lance swallowed nervously. “Uh…”  
  
\--  
  
Varian watched as rubble fell from the ceiling as the tunnels shook around them. “Rapunzel, we _really_ gotta hurry.” He said, chuckling nervously. “How much farther is it?”  
  
“Uh, we’re here.” Rapunzel said, leading him into a large room. “You wanted a big underground cavern? I give you…the Demanitus Chamber.”  
  
Varian looked up in awe at the machine covered in red rocks. Oh, if only he’d seen it before it was completely covered. “Whoa…it’s…it’s amazing.” He breathed.  
  
“You should’ve seen it _before_ all these red rocks.” Rapunzel said, smiling at him.  
  
“Y-You’ve been here _before_?” He looked at her.  
  
“Yeah, the night of the…” She swallowed nervously. “The blizzard. We had to come down here to activate it and—ohhhhhh my god.” She brought her hands to her head. “That night! The Disciples! Glowing, green eyes!”  
  
“Huh?” He blinked, confused.  
  
“Varian, I am soooo, _so_ sorry, but I just realized that guy you told us about the other day, in the shell? He was sealed in here until we turned it on to dispel Zhan Tiri’s blizzard. We accidentally set him free along with two other people I’ve since had to deal with.”  
  
“Oh.” He blinked. “…Wait, you’re talking about Lucas? Huh.” He looked back at the machine. “He was sealed in here, huh?”  
  
“Yeah. You know, I wish I’d had the thought to talk to Demanitus about the Disciples before—” She gasped as the ground shook around them.  
  
“Okay, regrets later, rocks now.” Varian said, gripping the bottle close to his chest.  
  
“Yeah.” She nodded, taking his hand and leading him down a flight of stairs.  
  
“Hey, Rapunzel?” He said as they walked. “I’m not mad at you about Lucas. He was just one of many bad things during that time and wasn’t even the worst of the High-Security bunch.”  
  
“O-Oh, okay. Good.” She nodded.  
  
“He’s just the only one of them still alive.” He shrugged. “But…he made some kind of Deal with Andrew to not hurt me until I’m eighteen, so he’s not _really_ much of a threat. He said that Lucas wouldn’t break his ‘deal’. Figures he’s some cultist demon thing.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled a bit. “Yeah, well, you should’ve met the _other_ two. Talk about creepy. Oh, and then there were the bird people, don’t know if they were part of them or not but they sure freaked me out.”  
  
“The ones in the woods?” Varian recalled from the journal.  
  
“Yeah.” Rapunzel nodded, and then they stopped at the bottom of the device. “Okay…here we are.”  
  
“Man, I would’ve loved to have met Demanitus.” Varian said as he looked up at it.  
  
Rapunzel smiled sadly, wondering if there was still enough of Demanitus _left_ inside of the monkey Vigor _to_ meet.  
  
“There’s the base.” Varian said, walking over to a cluster of red rocks. “Encasing it in amber _should_ stop the fear from—” Another violent tremor shook the area around them and he cleared his throat before walking over to stand next to the edge, looking down at the red rocks.  
  
“Here.” Rapunzel untied her hair and looped it around him before tugging on it so he could lean over and pour the compound on the red rock jutting out.  
  
Varian held the bottle as he looked over at it, then looked up in alarm as he heard his father calling to him, reaching for him from the amber. He shook it off and removed the cork, pouring out most of the compound onto the red rock.  
  
Then he got yanked back and he quickly hid behind Rapunzel, waiting for it to turn into amber. When nothing happened, he went over to look at it. “Wha? Gah, I don’t understand! This solution _should_ encase the rocks, it…” He faltered, then slapped his hand to his head. “Oh, _so dumb_ Varian!”  
  
“What is it?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Whatever turned this rocks red must’ve also changed their internal chemistry!” He brought his hand to his mouth, feeling at a complete loss.  
  
“So, that solution only works on _black_ rocks?” She said, looking around.  
  
“Yes. Well, what’s left of it.” He tapped the nearly-empty bottle bitterly. “But, I…I don’t even see any black rocks _here_.”  
  
Rapunzel looked around, then placed a hand on his shoulder as he pointed up high. “I do.”  
  
Varian looked up and saw a single black rock in an impossibly-high location. “Okay, this just got a _lot_ harder.” He said, his shoulders slumped.  
  
\--  
  
“Laaaaaance.”   
  
Lance whimpered, staring up at the clown-spider as he backed up from it a bit.  
  
“Time to sing in publiiiiic, Laaaaance!” The clown taunted, earning a little yelp. “Ohhh, yes, yes!”  
  
Lance tried to cover his head, but it was still there. “Time to sing in front of _all these people_.”  
  
He looked over his shoulder at the curtain anxiously.  
  
“They’re waiting on yoooou, Laaaaance.”  
  
“Lance.” He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. “Lance, I know that you’re scared, but you can do this. You can fight the fear.”  
  
He looked next to him and saw Juniper giving him an encouraging smile before she pulled aside the curtain for him to step out.  
  
“Come on, buddy, you’ve got this!” Eugene encouraged from a higher seat above the crowd. “I believe in you!”  
  
“Believe in yourself, in your strength.” Juniper said, smiling at him. “You’re stronger than you think, Lance.”  
  
Lance looked at her, then Eugene, then the crowd of terrified people. Then he nodded and closed the curtain. “You know what?” He turned towards the clown-spider. “They’re right. I’m bigger than you. I’m _bigger_ than you.” He walked towards the creature, the nightmare growing smaller and smaller as he walked towards it. “I am bigger than my _fear_!”  
  
He then turned with a satisfied “Hm!” and walked over to open the curtain again, stepping out onto the stage.  
  
Eugene turned on a large focused lantern and pointed it at the stage as Lance closed the curtain behind him.  
  
Lance looked unsure for a moment, then stepped forward as he started to sing. “ _Wheeen you’re scared and stricken, and losing your cool._ ” He cleared his throat. “ _When you’re such a chicken, you feel like a fool._ ” He dramatically brought his hand to his head. “ _Don’t freeze up,_ ” he jumped back in a frightened pose, “ _just ease up_.” He stood up straight and confident. “ _Take one deep breath._ ” He gestured to the sky. “ _And don’t forgeeeet this little ruuuule_!” He tapped his feet, then jumped off the stage to join the people.  
  
“Uh! There it is, haha!” He laughed as he started to snap his fingers, then did a twirl. “Yeah!”  
  
He turned towards the people. “ _When your palms are sweatin’; when panic attacks. When you’re close to wettin’ your favorite slacks,_ ” He ran over and blocked Monty, who was starting to run off from an unseen terror. “ _Stop freakin’ and shriekin’, don’t look so bleak and just relax, kid._ ” He assured him with his hands on the man’s shoulders, and Monty looked behind at some unseen monster. “ _And if you weaken when your courage starts to plummet, step up and overcome it_!” He encouraged, backing away as Monty gripped the lollipop in his hand tightly, turning towards the invisible threat.  
  
“ _’Cause you’re bigger, you’re badder, you’re better than that!_ ” Lance said as Monty started to attack the air in front of him with confidence, then went over to where Catalina and Kiera were looking like they were being cornered. “ _You know you’re stronger and harder, and smarter than that!_ ”  
  
Kiera suddenly grabbed at the air and started to act like she was attacking something and Calatina punched at her own as Lance went on. “ _So, when you’re haunted or daunted, stay calm as a cat!_ ” He smiled as they triumphantly high-fived before he picked Catalina up and spun her around in the air. “ _What are you afraid of, you’re bigger than that!_ ”  
  
He threw a fist in the air on his way to the next person cowering in fear. “Yeah! Aw, I feel good now!”   
  
Juniper came out from backstage and joined him and they danced a bit before going to help other people, Lance going to help Attila and Juniper running to help Eugene, who had gone off his high seat, being effected by his own vision.  
  
“ _If you’re still uneasy, still tremblin’ in dread._ ” Lance went on as Juniper handed Eugene an invisible sword to fight with before “drawing” her own to help him fight. “ _You’re still so queasy, you’d rather be dead._ ”  
  
He started to dance around, encouraging more people to fight their fears and acting like he was pushing them away from the townsfolk as he went on. “ _Don’t sweat it, don’t fret it, cause if you let it turn your head, kid, you can forget it! So, if anything dismays ya, no need to let it faze ya!_ ”  
  
The townsfolk all started to fight back against their fears one by one, as Lance continued to sing and dance through the courtyard encouragingly. “ _’Cause you’re bigger, you’re badder, you’re better than that! You know you’re bolder! Uh! You’re buffer, you’re tougher than that! And since you’re braver, don’t waver, just hand it its hat! Show it what you’re made of, you’re bigger than that!_ ”  
  
“Eugene, you doing okay?” Juniper asked as Eugene “blocked” an attack.  
  
“Yeah, they’re just, uh, tough to beat.” He said with a grunt.  
  
“What are you _seeing_ , anyway?” She asked.  
  
He swallowed nervously. “Cassandra and her mother.”  
  
“Oh.” Juniper nodded. “Yeah, that’s kinda’ scary.”  
  
“ _And once you know this_ ,” Lance sang on, dancing with Old Lady Crowley in a circle, “ _there’s nothing to fear. Every neurosis will just disappear. Because you’re bigger, you’re badder, you’re better than that!_ ” He let go of her and she started to attack the air with wild kicks.  
  
“ _You know you’re chiller, and you’re flipper, and you’re hipper than that! So, face your demon, stop screamin’, and pummel it flat!_ ” Lance sang with a dramatic two-handed punch to the ground for emphasis.   
  
Eugene slashed at the air with Juniper and then they stood back-to-back triumphantly with their “swords” raised high as everyone else started to celebrate their victories as Lance finished singing. “ _What were you afraid of, you’re bigger than that!”  
  
_ Everyone started to loudly cheer and threw their hands in the air. Eugene grinned and high-fived Juniper before running over to chest-bump with Lance. “You did amazing, Lance!”  
  
Lance grinned. “No one’s scared now!”  
  
\--  
  
Varian chuckled nervously after he and Rapunzel determined that there was no other black rock in a lower vicinity. “S-So, you’re telling me I gotta climb _all_ the way up _there_?” He chuckled again. “Nobody in their right mind would—”  
  
“Race you to the top!” Rapunzel said, hopping onto a red rock and starting to climb.  
  
“Oh, come on.” Varian said with disbelief before he started to climb after her.  
  
They made their way up the rocks and then to the machine itself, Rapunzel making sure her hair was always within Varian’s reach as he climbed up after her. He fought the urge to look down, both because of the height and also because, if he did…if he did…  
  
“Varian!” He heard his father call, and he quickly tore his eyes away from the rocks below before climbing on. His hand gripped something that came loose and he yelped and started to fall before he grabbed on to another handhold, barely hanging on.  
  
“Hang on!” Rapunzel said, realizing her hair wasn’t in his reach once she reached the top.  
  
He tried to hang on tighter, but when the room started to shake again, more rubble came down and he was hit by several pieces, making him let go with a scream of pain and fear as he fell.  
  
“Varian!” She hooked her hair up above her, jumped down and swung her hair down and he caught it, just before hitting the red rocks that would’ve surely impaled him. He whimpered and hung onto her hair desperately and let her pull him back up,   
  
“Phew!” She sat on a swing of her own hair as he was pulled up to be level with her.  
  
“It’s no use, Rapunzel!” He cried desperately. “I-I can’t _do_ this!”  
  
“Varian, you _cannot_ let fear run your life.” Rapunzel insisted, then glanced away. “Look, _I’m_ afraid, too.” She looked back at him.  
  
“Yeah, you said that, Princess, but you don’t see what _I_ see!” Varian said, looking down at the image of his amber-encased father with guilt and fear and dread.  
  
“That’s true.” Rapunzel agreed. “I don’t. But, that doesn’t mean I’m not seeing… _other_ things.” He looked at her and she went on with a sigh. “I see Corona. It’s _covered_ in black rocks.” She said, her gaze haunted as she thought of the images she had been seeing all day. “And I see Cassandra, sitting on my father’s throne. She’s conquered the Kingdom, my people are on their knees in chains, my family is…” She looked ill. “And the _worst_ part is, what I’m most afraid of is not having enough strength to stop her, and I lose… _everything._ ” She looked down sadly.  
  
  
  
He swung over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I had no idea.”  
  
“You see your past…” Rapunzel looked at him sadly. “But, I see a horribly-likely future. I’ve been having nightmares of this for _weeks_ , but haven’t told anyone…until now.” She smiled shakily. “I guess, we _both_ have trouble talking about what scares us.”  
  
He smiled softly and then they heard the ground shift again as the rubble started to fall again. Varian looked up at the black rock jutting out of the red, then looked at her. “I’ll do it. Just, uh…give me a lift.”  
  
She looked up, then braced herself. “One lift, coming up!” She said, before swinging back and yanking on her hair to pull him up and toss him onto the top of the machine. He landed and looked down at her to make sure she was okay and she got up from landing on a lower platform. “Hurry, Varian!”  
  
He nodded and went to continue climbing to the black rock.   
  
The red rocks were getting aggressive, cornering Rapunzel. She tried to push them away from her as Varian kept climbing.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra placed her hand on one of the red rocks, focusing on it to try to control it. She was suddenly met with visions, images. Rapunzel, pushing against the red rocks futilely. Varian, climbing the red rocks.   
  
_{Cass?}_ She heard Rapunzel saying.  
  
She frowned, opening her eyes. “Rapunzel?”  
  
Interesting…she could see through the rocks if someone was touching them? She closed them again, focused her anger on the rocks, and saw Rapunzel starting to turn red.   
  
_{Uh, Varian?_ } _  
  
_Varian? Right, he was doing something over there. She focused her attention on the teenager, leaving Rapunzel to struggle against her fear.  
  
He was also turning red but fighting it as he climbed. He was determined to get somewhere, but where?   
  
_{It’s not real. I can do this.}_ She heard him saying to himself when he found himself caught and unable to move. To her surprise, he managed to fight his fear enough to keep going.  
  
‘Impressive as always.’ She thought. ‘It’s too bad you’re on the wrong side, kid.’  
  
She watched as Varian climbed up to a single solitary black rock among the red. It reminded her too much of the black streak in her blue hair and she focused, trying to turn it red, to get rid of it. Varian pulled off his bag and pulled out a bottle with some kind of solution, then reached over to pour the contents onto the black rock.  
  
 _{Come on…come on!}_  
  
He gasped as the bottle slipped from his grip and bounced away. He barely caught it with his foot, despite being almost completely turned red, then continued with his task. Cassandra watched him equal parts intrigued but also annoyed with his antics. He was fighting the red rocks better than anyone, and now he was trying to mess with the black one.  
  
She focused on it, the black rock almost completely turned red. It was a race now, to see which would happen. Would he get to do whatever he was intending, or would she stop him in time? Either way, what a thrill!   
  
_{Fight the fear! Fight it!}_  
  
‘Give in to the fear, and let the nightmare _completely consume you_.’ She thought sadistically.  
  
 _{Come on…come on!}_  
  
He held the bottle out as far as he could, and then a single drip landed on the black rock. Cassandra gasped as there was an instant reaction; the black rock being overtaken by crystals of…  
  
Amber.  
  
This must be what he used before, to encase his father by accident.  
  
She gasped as she was suddenly unable to see anymore and jerked back, crying out in pain as she held her eyes.  
  
\--  
  
Varian and Rapunzel quickly made their back down as the red rocks were encased in the amber. When he got low enough, Varian dropped down and landed before Rapunzel pulled him into a tight hug. “Oh! You tackled your fears, Varian!” She pulled back and smiled brightly, her hands on his shoulders. “I _knew_ you had it in you!”  
  
He smiled fondly. “Let’s go back and tell everyone the good news.”  
  
She nodded and took his hand, heading back up with him.  
  
\--  
  
All around the Capital and beyond, the red rocks were sinking into the ground. Faith smiled with relief as her sister was restored to normal, and everyone still standing watched as Nigel and anyone else were also restored.  
  
“They did it!” Eugene said excitedly, and Juniper nodded with a smile, standing next to him with Lance.  
  
“So did you, Lance.” Old Lady Crowley said in an unusually kind way as she clapped, everyone else cheering.  
  
Lance beamed. “They love me! They really love me!”  
  
Juniper smiled and then cleared her throat. “So, uh…we’ve all had a pretty rough day. And I realize this is the first time I’ve been out here like this with all of you, so I’d just like to say…sorry. Sorry for what I did before, during the takeover. I had my reasons, a lot of…pent-up anger and hatred for your kingdom as a whole built up over centuries…but we all, we of Saporia, want to make amends. So, here’s my official apology, as Princess Juniper of Saporia, for all that we have done to you people. We hope you can come to forgive us, and our associates.”  
  
“Ah…” Old Lady Crowley shrugged. “Water under the bridge.”  
  
“You could have just left us to suffer, but you decided to help us, instead.” Monty agreed.  
  
“Corona is a place for people to have second chances.” Attila said, nodding. “I think we can learn to forgive you, Princess.”  
  
“Uhm, just ‘Juniper’, is fine.” Juniper said, glancing away awkwardly.  
  
Eugene grinned and nudged her, then gasped, seeing Rapunzel and Varian walking into the courtyard. “You’re back!”  
  
“We’re back!” Rapunzel said, running forward as Eugene leaped off the stage and ran to her. They hugged tightly, and then she let go and took Varian’s hand, pulling him along to the stage to stand with her. “Everyone, listen! We managed to defeat the red rocks, but we couldn’t have done it without Varian’s efforts! Varian is the one who saved Corona with his alchemy!”  
  
“Heh. Just…doing my part.” Varian blushed as he heard cheering and smiled shyly at the crowd, giving a little wave, before he gasped and knelt to pick up Ruddiger when he bounded over to jump into his arms. “Hey, buddy.” He smiled and stood up, holding him close as the raccoon nuzzled him, the people still cheering for their combined victories that day.  
  
\--  
  
“Nngh…gh…” Cassandra rubbed at her eyes, then slowly opened them to see the red rocks lowering into the ground. “So…” she scowled, “not _only_ did she take some of my power…but, she’s using _Varian_ against me as well.” She stood up, clenching her fists. “Okay, _Princess_. Let’s _play_ , then.” She hissed, starting to walk down the path before her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The day is saved! But Cassandra is furious!


	26. Egg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> General Jenna of Saporia has a problem that she needs help with: A dragon's egg has gone missing!  
> Meanwhile, Varian sets up shop in the Demanitus Chamber to focus on his work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“So, Cassandra is actively attacking Corona, now.” King Frederic said grimly.  
  
“I don’t know.” Rapunzel admitted. “It might not have been deliberate, maybe…maybe she’s just as scared and uncertain of the future as _we_ are.”  
  
“Perhaps. But, we cannot afford to be hesitant.” King Frederic said firmly. “We must be prepared for another wave of those…” He struggled with his words.  
  
“We’re calling them ‘Fear Rocks’, Your Majesty.” Varian helpfully supplied.  
  
“Er, yes. We must be prepared for another wave of those.” He nodded.  
  
“I don’t think it’s likely to happen again.” Rapunzel assured him. “When I was touching the rock, I could… _feel_ her frustration and fear. She couldn’t control it.” She gasped in realization. “I think she can’t control _any_ of the rocks, not really. They just come out when she’s really emotional.”  
  
“So…what do you propose we do?” Queen Arianna asked.  
  
Varian cleared his throat. “If you don’t mind, I’d actually like to make use of the Demanitus Chamber and set up a lab in there. I haven’t been able to focus on translating the scroll while in Old Corona because there’s just too much going on, and I think that working on it in his old workspace may give me a boost in the, you know, inspiration department and I can actually make some decent progress.”  
  
“But, you’d be all alone down there.” Rapunzel looked at him.  
  
“Ah, no, Ruddiger would be with me.” Varian reminded her. “I just…the Saporians are great, but they’re also _distracting_. They’ve never quite listened to my ‘no audiences’ rule when it comes to me working in my lab, and Kiera and Catalina and Dwayne are just as…er, nosy.”  
  
The others in the room chuckled and giggled a bit at his admission.  
  
“Very well, but we _will_ be sending someone to bring you food and making sure you actually sleep.” Arianna said kindly, then held up a hand. “Ah, no, I see you about to groan and these are the terms. It’s bad enough you will be hidden away in a dark mountain, you’re _certainly_ not going to be going without any form of care and abandoning your sleeping schedule.”  
  
“I can check in on him.” Rapunzel assured her mother with a smile. “Just for delivering meals and making sure you sleep, okay, Varian? How long do you think you’ll need?”  
  
“Err…I can’t really say for sure, but let’s go with, uhm, five weeks?” He shrugged.  
  
She smiled and nodded. “Sounds great.”  
  
“Great.” He nodded. “Then, if you don’t mind, I’m going to excuse myself to go and set up my new lab. Uhm, Rapunzel, Eugene, would you two mind helping me set up?”  
  
They laughed and headed out, waving to the King and Queen as they went.  
  
\--  
  
Ever since the red rock incident, things had gotten a lot better for everyone involved in the takeover, and King Frederic had allowed General Jenna to return to her people. He was therefore surprised when she came back to Corona, looking distressed.  
  
The cause of her distress? Apparently, the Saporians had dragons, and one of their eggs had been stolen by a “treasure hunter” who thought it was a shiny orb. The mother had gone back to check on the eggs after laying them on a cliff last week and found one had been stolen away.  
  
Nigel was beside himself with panic, but somehow managed to keep his composure despite everything in him telling him to tell his King that this woman was dangerous and dragons were dangerous. However, he had already put himself on thin ice by telling the King and Queen that Rapunzel had been viciously attacked by Varian, when the truth was that it was only a little shake of the arms from a begging, _desperate_ child.   
  
“Please, you have _so_ many allies. Help us find the stolen egg, before it hatches?” The Saporian woman, who so greatly resembled General Shampanier that she must be a relation of some kind, pleaded. “If the baby hatches and it’s not with its momma…well, dragons _imprint_ , Your Majesties.”  
  
“I understand.” King Frederic nodded. “I will discreetly ask if _anyone_ has seen something of the egg’s description.”  
  
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” She said gratefully.  
  
“We will send a messenger to Old Corona as soon as we know anything.” King Frederic assured her. She stood up and bowed at the waist.  
  
“Thank you. I will be waiting for word.” She said, then turned and walked out.  
  
Nigel breathed an audible sigh of relief once she was gone.  
  
“She’s a lovely woman, isn’t she, Nigel?” Frederic said teasingly.  
  
“S-Sir!” He sputtered.  
  
The royals laughed a bit at his expense, and he sighed, looking forward and keeping his mouth shut.  
  
\--  
  
Princess Rapunzel had requested to _personally_ be there to receive items sent from Neserdnia, and so Nigel went with her and her boyfriend to the dock to handle that. As the boat left again, he walked up to her as she waved goodbye to it. “Your Highness, here’s the manifest from Neserdnia’s latest shipment of goods.” He said in a deadpan tone.  
  
“They always send us the best stuff!” She said excitedly, starting to dig through the boxes.  
  
He wouldn’t lie and say that he enjoyed spending time with the free-spirited Princess. She went against too many traditions and, from the moment she was born, she’d turned the whole Kingdom upside-down, befriending convicts, pardoning terrorists, making magic a thing that people just had to accept was a part of their lives now, when it had been something to be feared only a few years before her birth. Now they had Saporians walking the streets, thugs in the bakery, and her impossibly-long hair was a constant reminder of her status as the human embodiment of the Sundrop Flower.  
  
“Ooh, kumquats!” Rapunzel said as she dug around.  
  
Not to mention they had left a reportedly-unstable teenager to do whatever he wished in a secret chamber under a mountain that, until recently, had been considered mere legend. A teenager that, the _last_ time he had been left in isolation, lost his mind and attacked the Royal Family.  
  
“Merino wool!” She went on to something else.  
  
And then there was her boyfriend, who had gotten into crime at an age younger than the aforementioned teenager and kept up a steady, increasingly-bad reputation ever since, until the day he decided to give up crime for good because he, as he put it, “found a new dream” – he fell in love with a princess and with all the accompanying perks, he didn’t _need_ to steal, and even got his old partner-in-crime a place in the Kingdom.  
  
“Lavender oils!” She gasped. “Porcelain dolls!”  
  
And then there was the sister-duo of ex-thieves, once called the Silent Striker, who had _also_ been given a second chance and lived in the Kingdom.  
  
“Oh, oh! Neserdian riding hats!” Rapunzel put a hat on her head and turning to her boyfriend. “What do you think?”  
  
Eugene chuckled. “I think…I’ll keep my thoughts to myself.”  
  
And now Nigel had recently found out that they’d actually been keeping the _Prince of Saporia_ locked away in their dungeon after a failed attempt to steal a map of the Herz Der Sonne tunnels.  
  
Rapunzel scoffed. “Well, you know what? I know who’s a better judge.” She turned to her pet chameleon. “Pascal? Hm?”  
  
Said tunnels which, by the way, the teenage ex-terrorist had _memorized_ after going through them _once_ , after he used Princess Rapunzel’s naivety to get ahold of the map and steal the remains of the precious Sundrop Flower – which he’d promptly destroyed, apparently, while trying to free his father, with alchemy, from a mistake his alchemy had caused.  
  
“Oh! What did you find?”  
  
He was broken from his thoughts as Rapunzel picked up something her pet had found and unwrapped a…a…  
  
A light-blue ball. “Ohh, it’s nice and warm!” Rapunzel said with delight.  
  
Nigel stared at the ball in disbelief. Why was it here? This had to be it! He checked the manifest.   
  
“ _That_ beauty’s a keeper.” Rapunzel said, completely unaware of what she had. “So, hug away, little guy.” She handed it back to her pet.  
  
Princess Rapunzel didn’t know. He could tell her the truth, get it taken away from Corona. But, then she might be upset. Duty over worrying about the Princess’s _feelings_ , who knew he’d have to worry about _that?  
  
_ “Why don’t you show it to your father?” He suggested. “It’s not on the manifest.”  
  
“Oh, good idea!” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Let’s get everything back to the castle.” Eugene said with a smile.  
  
\--  
  
It was better, this was. Better to have her father reveal what she’d found before she got too attached and it hatched and, heaven forbid, imprinted on her. Rapunzel brought the orb to her father as Nigel suggested, though she didn’t know why.  
  
“Rapunzel, where did you find this?” He asked, gently taking it into his large hands. Still wrapped in a pink cloth, it was warm in his hands and he could feel a pulsating inside of it.  
  
“It was in a box from Nerserdnia, but it wasn’t on the manifest.” Rapunzel explained. “Why, do you recognize it?”  
  
“Yes.” King Frederic nodded, then turned to Nigel. “Send word to General Jenna in Old Corona immediately!”  
  
Nigel left to give the order. Rapunzel watched him go, confused. “What is it?”  
  
“This, Rapunzel…is a dragon egg. General Jenna came to us two days ago and reported that an egg had been stolen from a nest and asked me to discreetly search for it. She will be so happy to know we’ve found it.”  
  
“O-Oh…it’s an egg?” Rapunzel walked closer to look at it. “I just thought it was a warm ball. Pascal really likes it…”  
  
“Yes, Rapunzel, but we have to get this egg back to the mother before it hatches, or it could imprint on someone else and that will affect the baby’s upbringing.” King Frederic explained gently. “I know that you are probably disappointed…”  
  
“No, no. I just…” Rapunzel shifted a bit. “Would…would it be okay if we were there for it being hatched?”  
  
“Well…I don’t see why not. They could probably bring the mother and other eggs to Corona.” King Frederic looked thoughtful. “Why don’t you go bring lunch to Varian, though, while we’re waiting for her to get here?”  
  
“Right, it’s about that time.” Rapunzel nodded and headed off to the kitchen to get the meal being prepared for the teenager.  
  
\--  
  
Part of her wanted to take the egg with her, so that she wouldn’t miss it if it hatched, but she knew that, if that happened, it would imprint on her and she wasn’t the mother. She stroked Pascal’s nose soothingly as she carefully avoided the traps in the tunnels on the way to the Demanitus Chamber, where she knew Varian would be hard at work translating the Demanitus Scroll and being _extremely focused_ about it. She made her way out and down the stairs and stood at the bottom of the steps, watching as he wrote on the wall with chalk, muttering to himself while Ruddiger sat on his shoulders, giving some kind of input.  
  
“Ahem.” She cleared her throat. “Varian, it’s time for lunch.”  
  
“...and this is—huh?” Varian looked over at her. “Oh…is it that time?” He walked over and set down the chalk before going over to join her as Rapunzel set down the basket on his desk. “Thanks.” He licked his lips as he opened it and started to take out the prepared food; sandwiches, of course, and juice.  
  
“Hey, do you want to take a short break today?” She asked.  
  
“Aha, Rapunzel, the whole point of me working down here is so I _don’t_ get pulled away from my work for ‘a short break’ all the time.” He reminded her. “You’re only supposed to be here to make sure I eat and sleep, remember?”  
  
“I know.” She nodded. “I just…apparently, we found a dragon egg, and I thought you might want to watch it hatch.”  
  
“Maybe another time, Rapunzel, but after the red rocks I don’t want to be distracted from my work here. We have _no_ idea how far away from Corona Cassandra is and, if this scroll can tell us how to _stop_ her, I need to translate it _before_ she gets here.” He said before going back to his food.  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “You’re right. Sorry. I’ll, uhm, I’ll paint you a picture of it.”  
  
He nodded, giving a thumbs-up as he continued to eat.

Truth be told, Rapunzel _hated_ this arrangement. Ever since she’d returned, she’d been trying to make sure that Varian didn’t ever feel alone, suggesting neighbors that he might be able to relate to, including him in things, but he had requested this solitude for…five weeks, and no matter how much she wanted to pull the teenager back out into the sunlight – because the little bit of sunlight he got from the hole overhead wasn’t _nearly_ enough to be healthy – she knew that she had to respect his wishes.  
  
He had gone too long with people just ordering him to do this and that and had grown resentful about it.  
  
When he finished eating, he got up with a “Thanks for the food” and went right back to work. She sighed and picked up the basket before heading out, leaving him to his solitude once more.  
  
\--  
  
When Rapunzel returned, General Jenna and Juniper had arrived at the Capital. “Hey, Raps.” Juniper smiled. “I hear you want to watch the egg hatch.”  
  
“I do!” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Well, I talked to your parents.” She looked at King Frederic and Queen Arianna. “How would you like to be the first Coronan to go to the Caves of Saporia?”  
  
“What?” Rapunzel blinked.  
  
“We can’t bring the mother here, but we _can_ bring you and the egg back _there_.” General Jenna explained. “So, if you’re _willing_ …”  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “Wait, how long will this take?”  
  
“About a day. Might wanna put someone else on Varian-duty.” Juniper winked.  
  
Rapunzel looked at her parents. “C-Can I? Can I go?”  
  
“I think that they have proven we can trust them.” Queen Arianna smiled.  
  
“Don’t go alone.” King Frederic nodded firmly.  
  
“I’ll bring Eugene!” Rapunzel said eagerly. “Oh, uh, and should I bring my new Lady-in-Waiting, too?”  
  
“Relax, Raps.” Juniper chuckled. “I think she’ll be okay if she goes alone, Your Majesty. I give my personal guarantee that she will return home safely.”  
  
“Hm…alright.” King Frederic nodded. “When will you return?”  
  
“The egg is due to hatch tomorrow night. We’ll bring her back home after that, so…around three or four days from now?” Juniper looked thoughtful.  
  
“I need to go pack clothes!” She gasped. “Do you think I can get some Saporian clothes at your place?”  
  
Juniper chuckled. “Of course.”  
  
“Eee!” Rapunzel headed off, Juniper following after her.  
  
General Jenna turned to the King and Queen. “…Thank you for trusting her with us.”  
  
“You have been trusting your Princess with us, despite how we treated your Prince before.” King Frederic said, his expression regretful. “This is only fair.”  
  
“Trust me,” she smiled softly, “the fact that you did not kill him already makes you much better than the ones who came before you. As for what you did to the King, I understand that you were in a terrible state of grief and paranoia and it was bad timing on our part. Were the situation reversed, I am sure our King would have done the same to you.”  
  
King Frederic nodded. “They are strong. I am sure that they will be good rulers.”  
  
“Well, they are reckless, but they will learn. They have too long been warriors and not diplomats. It is our hope that, once this…Cassandra problem is handled, we can discuss restoration of our fallen Kingdom.”  
  
“Perhaps. Now, however, it is likely it will be destroyed before it’s fully restored.” King Frederic said grimly. “If Cassandra gets her way… _we_ may not survive this.”  
  
General Jenna nodded grimly.  
  
\--  
  
Eugene had protested her leaving without him, of course, but Juniper had assured him that Rapunzel would be in good hands and Juniper would be by her side the whole time. Rapunzel, meanwhile, had given Eugene the task of making sure Varian didn’t let himself waste away from overworking and Rapunzel had brought him with her to bring Varian dinner and then left for, what was it? The Caves of Saporia?  
  
Eugene sighed as he looked out at the sky, where the love of his life had left on a hot-air balloon only an hour ago. It’s not that he wanted to go, and certainly making sure Varian didn’t waste away down there was _important_ , but Juniper and Rapunzel deciding it would be a Girls’ Day Out thing bothered him.  
  
“What’s eating you?” Andrew asked, walking over to him.  
  
“Hey, when’d you get into town?” Eugene looked at him.   
  
“Just a bit ago. Heard Juniper was heading back, thought I’d see her off. Guess I missed her.” He shrugged.  
  
Eugene nodded. “Well, they’ll be back soon. Er, in a few days.”  
  
Andrew nodded. “…Hey, what do you really feel about the whole…Cassandra thing? Do you think there’s hope for her?”  
  
“Honestly...I don’t know.” Eugene sighed. “Frankly, I think she’s dangerous. The fact that she can turn people into statues locked into fear is…well, _terrifying_. Last time it was an accident, probably. But, if she uses it intentionally?”  
  
He sighed, then got up. “I gotta go tell Varian to go to bed. Wanna come along?”  
  
“Sure.” Andrew nodded and they headed off to the tunnels together.  
  
\--  
  
“It’s funny…” Andrew said as they made their way through, Eugene awkwardly trying to avoid booby traps, “I was in prison because I wanted a map of this place. Now I’m here and…I don’t really want to be.”  
  
“Yeah, it’s creepy.” Eugene agreed. “Apparently, there’s three-thousand traps down here just waiting to be set off. Luckily, Rapunzel told me what to avoid doing to not set any off, so we shouldn’t have a problem.”  
  
“You know, I’m going to send them a hawk and ask Juniper to bring back a Communication Mirror for Varian.” Andrew sighed heavily, shaking his head. “And I need to go to Vardaros and find the magically-sealed chest I put my _own_ in.”  
  
“Vardaros, huh?” Eugene chuckled. “I’ve been there. Almost got _married_ there.”  
  
“Almost?” Andrew asked.  
  
“Well, it was to my ex. They had Lance hostage, he was poisoned and the only way I could get the antidote was to marry her. Luckily, Rapunzel showed up and saved the day, but that was…” He sighed. “A _really_ unpleasant experience. Anyways, Vardaros has gone back to the way it was before The Baron took over.”  
  
“What happened to Stalyan?” Andrew asked.  
  
“Oh, she’s given up on—you know her?” He looked at Andrew.  
  
“She was the one I was staying with.” Andrew shrugged. “Don’t tell me that she’s your ex?”  
  
“Uhhh…yes, actually.” Eugene nodded. “Did you and her ever…?”  
  
“No, we weren’t. She did rant about a ‘Flynn Rider’ a lot, but I had no idea until now it was _you_ , especially since when _Varian_ told me about you, he _also_ called you ‘Flynn Rider’.” Andrew chuckled. “I don’t think he _ever_ called you ‘Eugene’ until after he reformed when you returned.”  
  
“Wait, he called me ‘Flynn Rider’ for a _whole year_?” Eugene frowned. “…I…guess he didn’t actually _know_ me, huh? Yeah, we…Rapunzel called me ‘Eugene’, but I never officially introduced myself to him, just said that I wasn’t the actual guy from the book. And then all the other times we met following that…” He tried to think of if he had ever called him by ‘Eugene’ at any point, realizing with a start that the one time he’d told him his actual name, Varian had been very distracted and…they hadn’t actually talked at all since that day. The next thing he ever said to him was a quip about his inventions being destructive, and then after that…well, they’d been enemies and Varian didn’t say _anything_ to him, focused on his goal and seeing Eugene as merely an obstacle.  
  
Wow, he’d _really_ let the kid down…  
  
He hoped he could make up for it now, that he _had_ been making up for it, since they were once again on the same side.  
  
\--  
  
“I think this is ‘clock’…yeah, looks about right.” Varian muttered as Eugene and Andrew came in to see him.  
  
“Time for bed, short stuff!” Eugene said cheerfully, startling him.  
  
“Huh?” He looked at him. “O-Oh, right. Rapunzel explained that you’d be taking over her, uh, duties concerning me for the next few days. Uhm…” He looked back at the wall, then sighed and went to put the chalk away. “Okay.”  
  
“Come on.” Eugene smiled. “So, uh, where do you sleep down here, anyway?”  
  
Varian pointed to a cot by the wall. “Right there.”  
  
“Don’t you get cold in here?” Andrew asked with concern.  
  
“Surprisingly…no. It’s actually really warm in here.” Varian said thoughtfully. "Probably because of the fire that’s constantly lighting up the place, or maybe because it’s so far away from the elements. There’s a number of reasons.” He paused and looked up at the ceiling. “…Lucas was in one of those panels, huh?”  
  
“What?” Eugene frowned.  
  
“He was?” Andrew looked up.  
  
“That’s what Rapunzel said. He and two others were released from their seal when she activated this machine.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Have you _seen_ him since…?” Andrew asked.  
  
“No.” Varian shook his head. “Not since he heard Juniper coming and left to ‘check it out’.”  
  
Eugene rubbed his head. “I’m…confused. Are you _sure_ that it wouldn’t better for you to come out and sleep in the castle, instead of sleeping in here?”  
  
Varian shook his head. “I’m fine, Eugene.” He walked over and sat on his cot. “Besides…I feel safe here. I can’t place it. It’s like the sealing magic is protecting me.” He looked up at the other panels. “So many Disciples of Zhan Tiri…we might be _dead_ if they were all released.”  
  
“Hey, don’t talk like that.” Eugene walked over and sat next to him, Andrew taking Varian’s other side. “And you’re not making me feel any more comfortable about you being down here.”  
  
Varian chuckled. “I’m fine, Eugene.” He assured him. “You don’t need to worry.”  
  
Eugene sighed and gently squeezed his shoulder. “I’d feel a lot more comfortable, though, if you had some way of contacting us in case of trouble.”  
  
“If that happens, I’ll send Ruddiger.” Varian assured him with a smile. “I’m fine. I _chose_ this isolation, Eugene.”  
  
Eugene sighed and looked at Andrew. “Hey, uh, what was that mirror thing you mentioned?”  
  
“Let’s go to Vardaros tomorrow.” Andrew nodded, then rubbed Varian’s head. “Have you been able to sleep okay by yourself? No nightmares?”  
  
“I’m fine.” Varian assured him with a bright smile. “Now, if you guys want me to sleep, you should go.”  
  
They both go up and Varian climbed under the covers. “We’re not leaving until you’re snoring.” Eugene told him.  
  
Andrew smirked. “More like when he’s drooling. He can fake a snore, but he sleeps with his mouth open.”  
  
“H-Hey!” Varian blushed and hid under his blanket. “Don’t tell him that!”  
  
The two men laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it really a good idea to leave Varian alone down there...?


	27. Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel looks forward to seeing new things! Meanwhile, something sinister is lurking around Varian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney
> 
> ((A/N: Alright, you thirsty lot, this one has Lucas. XD))

It was nice to take a little break and leave Corona on a trip that didn’t lead to something dark and ominous. Rapunzel sighed as she leaned on the wall of the basket, watching the stars as Juniper controlled the hot-air balloon. Jenna was sitting next to Rapunzel, the egg held in her hands like it was the most precious thing in the world.  
  
“When the egg was stolen,” she said softly, “we feared that we’d never find it before it hatched. It was sheer luck that you found it when you did, Princess Rapunzel.”  
  
Rapunzel smiled at her. “So…you guys have dragons?”  
  
“We don’t _have_ dragons, we _partner_ with them. Saporians don’t _own_ animals.” General Jenna explained. “We also work with Pegasi.” She grinned. “Ever ridden bareback, Princess?”  
  
“What’s a Pegasi?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Take a horse and put wings on it, that’s a Pegasus. Pegasi is the plural form.” Juniper explained. “We’ll show you when we get there, you will _love_ them.” She assured her with a grin.  
  
Rapunzel turned to her. “Was it really a good idea to leave Varian alone?”  
  
“He’s not alone, he’s got ‘Gene.” Juniper assured her. “Don’t worry so much, Raps. We won’t be gone that long.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “I know, but I’m still worried.” She admitted. “I don’t like him being alone…not after what happened before…” She looked down, her hands tightly gripping the edge of the basket.  
  
Juniper left the controls and walked over to place her hand on Rapunzel’s shaking one. “What happened before won’t happen again.” She said gently. “I think King Frederic proved that when he didn’t let him drown in Equis. Varian took a gamble that he really wanted to make amends and it’s paid off beautifully.”  
  
“But…” Rapunzel looked at her. “But, _my father_ wasn’t the one that spread the rumors! _My father_ wasn’t the one that ordered him to be thrown out into the snow that day!”  
  
Juniper’s brow furrowed. “Wasn’t that _you_?”  
  
Rapunzel shook her head. “No! _I_ barely said a word, it was _Nigel_!”  
  
“Varian never said anything about that.” Juniper frowned. “He was always talking about it being your fault or the King’s fault.”  
  
“Maybe he forgot or thought that it didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things.” Rapunzel looked at the stars. “Maybe this was a mistake.”  
  
“Hey, hey.” Juniper gently wrapped her arms around her, stroking her hair soothingly. “He’s going to be okay, alright? Nigel doesn’t know where he is, does he?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “You’re…you’re right.”  
  
Juniper smiled and nodded. “He’s going to be just fine. Why don’t you take a nap for now, I’ll wake you when we arrive.”  
  
“But, I don’t want to miss anything!” Rapunzel pouted. “I’ll sleep when the egg is hatched!”  
  
Juniper laughed. “Seriously, go to sleep before I drug you.” She coaxed Rapunzel into sitting down next to Jenna. “Come on.”  
  
“Mm…okay.” Rapunzel sighed. “Wake me before we get there, though?”  
  
“We’ll be arriving a little after dawn.” Juniper assured her. “You’ll be awake by then, I’m sure.”  
  
Rapunzel smiled and closed her eyes with a contented sigh.  
  
\--  
  
Sneaking after the ex-thief and the rebel prince had been ridiculously easy. Nigel had made sure to keep track of where to go and hidden before following them back. Now he was coming back through the tunnels, but he wasn’t empty-handed. Apparently, the little imp slept with his mouth open. It would be easy to get him to drink poison, in that case, and he carefully made his way back to the chamber with the weight of his intent heavy in his pocket.  
  
He’d never considered himself the type to get his own hands dirty, but the little alchemist had somehow bewitched everyone from the King to the baker. He didn’t trust him, and thought it was suspicious how easily he had bested the red rocks and earned the trust of the kingdom.  
  
And now he was studying some old scroll full of dark magic. Someone like _him_ shouldn’t have that kind of power.   
  
No one would suspect anything. He was living in a mountain; he was bound to suffer in some way. He was sure that he’d be safe, but Nigel knew how to manipulate things in his favor.  
  
Ever since his birth, the boy had been trouble. He should’ve been eradicated long ago, but the King for some reason feared killing the brat. Well, if someone wants something done _right_ …  
  
He stepped into the chamber and made note of the fire that Varian was sure would keep him safe and warm. He would give him the poison, then put out the fires once he was sure he was dead. Easy explanation.  
  
He made his way down the steps, silently praying his steps didn’t wake the boy’s insolent pet. Maybe he should give some to _him_ , as well.  
  
He walked up to the cot, where the boy slept peacefully with his raccoon in his arms. He sighed, recalling the times he’d gone down to his cell and found him in a similar position, or with the rebel prince’s arms around him. But, he was alone. No one would know.  
  
He walked up to the boy and slowly knelt down, reaching out to tilt his head back a bit.  
  
“I don’t think so.” A voice whispered in his ear.   
  
He gasped and covered his mouth to muffle it before he got up and backed away, looking around for the source. He let out a soundless shriek as he was surrounded by green fire and then a green, floating figure was grinning at him.  
  
“Good evening, Lord Nigel. Nice night for a stroll.” The figure said cheerfully. “Unfortunately, your little stroll has brought you to a place you shouldn’t be, with something you shouldn’t have.”  
  
A green hand ripped the poison out of his shaking hand and it burnt up into nothing. “You see, it’s not quite time for the little bird to die. We need him alive, and we need him to finish this translation.”  
  
“W-Who are you?” Nigel stepped back, but the flames kept him from going far.  
  
“Oh, we’ve met before.” The figure chuckled and floated around him in circles, like a vulture. “Yes, you and I were rather close for an entire year. I’ve never _seen_ such sadism in a man, such cruelty. You manipulated the King _beautifully_ and deluded yourself into thinking that you’re one of the ‘good ones’!” He landed in front of him and changed form into a human in a Royal Guard uniform. Then he took off his helmet with a grin, his ice-blue eyes flashing green maliciously. “But, I will put an _end_ to that delicious manipulation if you try to stop the little bird from his task again. The sun and moon must collide to open the door.”  
  
“W-What does _that_ mean?” Nigel asked.  
  
The man chuckled coldly. “I could tell you, but I would have to kill you. Just know that if _any_ of this conversation gets out, you will have a _very_ short life.” He grinned, his teeth sharp and vicious. “Do we have an understanding?”  
  
Nigel nodded, his body trembling from head to toe. The man reached out and cupped his cheek, chuckling. “Besides, even if we _didn’t_ need him…I _really_ want to see this pretty little bird grow up. I’m sure he’s going to be _breathtaking._ ” He patted Nigel’s cheek. “So, keep quiet and _play nice_.”  
  
The green flames went away, as did the man, and Nigel fled the chamber as fast as his fancy heels could carry him.  
  
The man reappeared at the top of the stairs to watch him go, then floated over to hover next to Varian. “Sleep well, my little bird. Sleep and use that brilliant mind of yours to unlock the doors that Demanitus shut so long ago.”   
  
With a malicious chuckle and a brush of the lips to Varian’s temple, he vanished again.  
  
\--  
  
What took Eugene a week to travel by caravan would only take Andrew an afternoon to travel by balloon, so they decided to set out after bringing Varian his breakfast. They stepped into the chamber and found him already awake and working, muttering to himself as before.  
  
“Geez, kid, you ever take a _break_?” Eugene asked as he set down the basket in an empty spot on Varian’s desk.  
  
“I _did_ take breaks. I took a break to do construction work, I took a break to hang out with you and our dads, I took a break to hang out with Rapunzel and the girls, I took a break to help King Frederic with his prank and I took a break to battle the red rocks. I have taken _far_ too many breaks, considering Cassandra is on her way here and we don’t know when she’ll arrive and this scroll may be the _only_ thing standing between us and her complete and total domination.” Varian looked up from his work. “But, you know, no pressure on me.” He set the chalk down and went to go eat the food they brought.  
  
“Right. Well, we’re going to Vardaros for a little bit, lunch might be late.” Eugene informed him.  
  
“Okay, have fun.” He shrugged and handed Ruddiger some food. “You can leave the basket here and pick it up later.”  
  
“Is that what Rapunzel does?” Eugene asked.  
  
“No, but she also insists on watching me eat.” Varian shrugged, then paused and looked over his shoulder. “By the way, any idea what caused those scorch marks on the ground?”  
  
“Scorch marks?” Andrew walked over to a circle of, indeed, scorch marks. “…No.” He knelt down and placed his hand on them. “I can get Clementine to come down here and check it out, if you’re worried.”  
  
“Considering how close that is to my cot, yeah, I’m worried.” Varian nodded. “But…” He paused, looking thoughtful. “Not _too_ worried, since I was just fine when I woke up.”  
  
“Well, if anything else weird happens, let us know and I’ll bring down Clementine.” Andrew smiled. “I’m going to see about getting you a Communication Mirror to keep in contact when we’re apart.”  
  
“What’s that?” Varian asked.  
  
“Do you know what a Magic Mirror is, Varian?” Andrew asked.  
  
Varian stared blankly. “…Maybe just show it to me when you have it.” He looked back at his food and kept eating.  
  
Andrew chuckled. “Okay.” He looked back at the scorch marks, his brow furrowed, then stood up. “Well, we should be heading up, Eugene. I mean, unless you don’t want to come along.”  
  
“Right. See you later, Varian.” Eugene nodded.  
  
Varian gave a vague wave before going back to his food and the two men headed out of the chamber. Andrew stopped at the door and looked around, his brow furrowed.  
  
“Andrew?” Eugene asked.  
  
Andrew frowned and looked towards Varian, his eyes widening a bit as he saw a green figure hovering near the distracted teenager before it disappeared.   
  
“Andrew?” Eugene prompted.  
  
Andrew shook his head, then walked out. “Sorry…must’ve been my imagination.”  
  
\--  
  


Rapunzel watched in awe as they approached a large island with trees, a mountain, at least five waterfalls with a gorgeous lake, and rocks all around it that made it impossible to go there by anything but air.  
  
“Princess Rapunzel,” Juniper said with a smile, “welcome to the Caves of Saporia.”  
  
They set down on a large cliff area and then Juniper got out before taking the egg so General Jenna could get down, then she handed it back to her before helping Rapunzel out of the basket with her bag.  
  
“This place is _amazing_.” Rapunzel said in awe, then gasped as she saw a dragon flying overhead. “Oh! A dragon! A real dragon!”  
  
“C’mon, Raps.” Juniper smiled and let her to a part of the wall. She touched a certain spot and the rock wall moved to reveal a door, which she opened up for her. “This is _my_ Kingdom.” She said as they went in.  
  
“I’m heading to the stables.” General Jenna said as she stepped inside. Juniper nodded and then led Rapunzel along, the door closing behind them as they walked away from it.  
  
“It’s so warm in here!” Rapunzel said, looking around.  
  
“We’re in a mountain, it’s pretty warm here.” Juniper chuckled. “Come on, I’ll show you to my room. Unless you want your own?”  
  
“I’m fine with sharing!” Rapunzel said cheerfully, following her. “When is the egg hatching?”  
  
“Soon, Raps, soon.” Juniper chuckled. “We’ll drop off your bag in my room, then head for the stables.”  
  
“Eee!” Rapunzel cheered.  
  
“We should really bring Varian here, show him all of his mom’s old stuff.” Juniper sighed. “Shew was one of our best, descended from Demanitus himself.”  
  
“Really?” Rapunzel gasped. “But, that means Varian is also! Oh, I have _got_ to find a way for them to meet! I hope there’s still some of him _left_ in Vigor…”  
  
“Who’s Vigor?” Juniper asked curiously.  
  
“Well, he’s a fortune-teller, but he’s also a monkey with the mind of Demanitus.” Rapunzel explained.  
  
“If it’s a matter of the mind…maybe Kline can help bring his mind forward, permanently.” Juniper said thoughtfully. “He’d be a great ally against Cassandra, for sure.”  
  
“Problem is, his, uh, owner is really protective of him.” Rapunzel shrugged.   
  
“Well, we’ll worry about that later, I guess.” Juniper shrugged and stopped at a beaded curtain over a little tunnel, which she pushed aside to let Rapunzel in. “Here’s my room. Bed’s over there, private path is over there through that tunnel, let’s set down your things and we’ll head to the stables.”  
  
Rapunzel let out a happy squeal, set down her bag and then headed out. Juniper laughed and followed her out. “Rapunzel, you don’t know the way!”  
  
“I’ll find it!” Rapunzel said excitedly. “Or, I can just let you lead me.”  
  
Juniper chuckled and took her hand, leading her along. “Watch your step, this place can be hard on someone with no shoes.”  
  
“My feet are actually really strong.” Rapunzel assured her. “I—ow!” She yelped and looked at where she had stepped and saw tiny little sharp rocks. “Uhm…”  
  
“Yeah, that’s a thing.” Juniper chuckled. “Like I said, watch your step.”  
  
Rapunzel let out another yelp and Juniper lifted her into her arms. “Come on, Princess.” She chuckled, carrying her through the rocky “hallway”. “Why don’t you wear shoes, anyway?”  
  
“I spent eighteen years in a tower, never going outside, never wearing shoes.” Rapunzel said, sighing with her arms around the woman’s neck. “It feels really uncomfortable to wear shoes.”  
  
Juniper chuckled. “Well, I’ll carry you to the stables, but you gotta watch your step the rest of the time.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, smiling a bit.  
  
They reached another tunnel and stepped through into a large, open space. Rapunzel gasped as she saw wide, spacious stalls with no doors with winged horses inside, and on the other side of the cavern was…  
  
“Dragons!” Rapunzel breathed.  
  
At least five beautiful, scaley dragons were sitting on piles of various items, and Rapunzel realized that there were eggs with them as well. General Jenna saw her and waved from where she was sitting in front of one of the dragons.  
  
“Princess, come here!” She called.  
  
They walked over to join her and Rapunzel sat down next to her. “Here, this is the egg you found.” General Jenna pointed to it. “And this is the momma.” She reached up and rubbed the snout of a sleepy-looking dragon. “She couldn’t get back to the Caves in time to lay them, so she laid them where she thought they’d be safe and went to get us to bring them home. We were fortunate only one was taken.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, reaching up to rub the dragon’s snout. “I’m glad I was able to help. Though, I think Pascal was a bit disappointed, he really liked the warm ball.”  
  
“I could probably make a ball that emits heat.” Juniper suggested. “I can make it absorb the sun’s warmth and retain the heat during the night.”  
  
“How?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Science!” Juniper grinned. “And magic.”  
  
“I think he’d like that.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
“Girls, look.” General Jenna drew their attention to the eggs and Rapunzel gasped as she saw them starting to squirm around. General Jenna held up a hand and murmured something and a glowing barrier appeared around each of the dragons. “This will keep the eggs from wandering off while they’re squirming free.” She explained to Rapunzel. “Otherwise, we’d be chasing them down the hall. It’s only blocked one way, though, so we could still reach in if you wanted.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled at the imagery, briefly imagining chasing the egg down the castle halls if they hadn’t brought it here.   
  
“Alright, girls, let’s back up, give them some distance. We don’t want any of them to imprint on us.” General Jenna got up and ushered them over to a fence, which they looked through the gaps in it to watch as the eggs squirmed around under each of the exhausted mothers. She whistled and Rapunzel gasped as more dragons came in and went straight to the mothers. “They’ve been flying around out there, restless.” She chuckled.  
  
“Aww…” Rapunzel cooed, and Pascal echoed her statement as they watched the fathers nuzzle the weary mothers and then she let out a gasp when the first egg started to crack, then another, and soon they were watching little eggs with legs running around bumping into each other and the parents, confined to their own barrier.  
  
“I love watching this.” Juniper said softly. “Andrew likes to joke that I was a dragon in another life, because I connect more with them than with humans.”  
  
“I think it’s adorable!” Rapunzel cooed.  
  
Finally, the baby dragons all broke free and the fathers brought over food for them to eat. Rapunzel sighed happily as they listened to them all coo at each other, nuzzling each other. Then General Jenna got up and walked over to them, making cooing and clicking sounds that caught their attention. She held out a hand and stroked the snout of each one in turn, then knelt to examine the babies, making more cooing and clicking sounds.  
  
“And that’s our cue to go.” Juniper got up. “She’s going to be busy with them a little while.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, getting up. “Thank you for bringing me to see this.”  
  
Juniper grinned. “Thanks for wanting to come along. C’mon, let’s go see about making Pascal a warm ball to play with.” She took her hand and led her out. General Jenna barely paid attention to them as they left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is Lucas plotting?


	28. Green

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nigel watches over Varian and his "visitor" discreetly, while Andrew and Eugene take a trip to Vardaros.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The boy didn’t seem to realize that he wasn’t alone. He was so focused on his work that he never bothered to look around, and Nigel watched with icy fear gripping his heart as the strange green figure hovered around the boy.  
  
No…this was no stranger. He knew him well, but he had never seen him like this. This…strange figure, this apparition was the only guard of High-Security to escape the wrath of the Saporian Princess. Lucas, he recalled his name being. He was unnervingly fond of the boy, and not in a friendly way. He watched as he tested the boy’s attentiveness, a hand hovering over his shoulder before he moved it away and vanished just in time to avoid being seen before he reappeared when the boy was bent over something. Nigel cringed when the “man” mimed doing something obscene to the boy, smirking up at him tauntingly, daring him to tell the boy that he was here. Then he vanished again.  
  
He shouldn’t be here, watching the boy work. If he was caught, they’d surely question how he even found this place. But there was something fascinating about how quickly he worked, moving back and forth between his desk and the wall, writing with chalk or with ink, his raccoon ever faithfully at his side.  
  
Curious how the little thing didn’t inform him that he wasn’t alone. Perhaps it only detected danger, and Lucas was not being a danger – yet. Obscene motions for Nigel’s benefit aside.  
  
He should return to the castle, he had no place here and no way of warning the boy without ending his life prematurely. However, perhaps if he warned the rebel prince…yes, he’d have to tell them he followed them, but he’d just…leave out a few key details.  
  
Yes. He swallowed nervously and, with one last look at the boy and his specter, fled back to the castle in hopes of the rebel prince and the ex-thief having returned by the time he did.  
  
\--  
  
Vardaros was as lively as ever, at least after Rapunzel had been through it, and Eugene took Andrew to the Baron’s old residence.  
  
“What business do you have in here?” Vex asked as she escorted them. “I thought you were done with this place?”  
  
“I was, but it turns out that my friend here forgot something here and needs to get it back. He was a guest for the Baron before, just briefly while he had upcoming business in Corona.” Eugene explained. “Don’t worry, though, he’s on the up-and-up.”  
  
She narrowed her eyes. “Hm…what’d you forget here?”  
  
“A magically-locked chest.” Andrew replied. “It would be glowing.”  
  
“A glowing chest, huh?” She looked thoughtful. “Well, I haven’t seen anything like that, but I haven’t exactly dug around in all the guest rooms.”  
  
They entered the mansion and Andrew headed straight for his guest room. Vex made a sound of protest about him heading off without her and hurried to keep up with her shorter legs. Eugene chuckled as he walked along with the man and then they stopped in front of a room. Andrew placed his hand on the door and muttered something and the lock clicked before it opened, letting him in.  
  
“I didn’t know you could use magic to unlock stuff.” Eugene said as they went in.  
  
“Only things I magically lock myself.” He shrugged and walked over to a chest in the middle of the room which was, in the darkness of the room, glowing a dim golden color. “Here we are.” He placed his hand on the chest and muttered something before it unlocked and opened. He reached in and pulled out a bag, then reached into a bag to pull out a mirror.  
  
“Oh, nice!” Eugene grinned. “You got a favorite mirror, too?”  
  
Andrew ignored him and tapped the surface. “Juniper.”  
  
The mirror started to glow and Eugene and Vex both jumped back when the mirror displayed Juniper. “Hey, looks like you got your mirror back finally.”  
  
“Yeah, would you mind picking one up for Varian?” Andrew asked.  
  
“Is that Andrew? Wow, Andrew’s in a mirror! Hi, Andrew!” Rapunzel poked her head into view.  
  
“Raps, not now. Yeah, I’ll grab him one. Speaking of the kid, who’s watching him?” Juniper asked.  
  
“We’ll be going back soon.” Andrew shrugged. “You know he watches himself.”  
  
“Is Eugene there too?” Rapunzel asked. “Eugene, I saw a bunch of dragons hatch out of eggs! They were so cute!”  
  
“That’s great, Sunshine.” Eugene walked over to her.  
  
“Anything else you want me to pick up?” Juniper asked. “Kind of working on something.”  
  
“Nothing I can think of.” Andrew shrugged. “See you when you get back.”  
  
“Yep. See you.” Her finger came into view and then the mirror went dark.  
  
Andrew put the mirror back, then turned to Vex. “Thank you.”  
  
“Uhm, yeah, okay. _Who_ are you?” She raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Andrew Sapor, Prince of Saporia.” Andrew introduced.  
  
“Uhm…cool. Deputy Vex.” She held out a hand and he shook it.  
  
“You’re rather young for a deputy, you must be exceptional.” Andrew smiled.  
  
“I dunno, I’m the only one that took the job.” She shrugged. “Anyways, I gotta get back to my post, so let’s leave this creepy place.”  
  
They nodded and headed out. “So, how’s Rapunzel?” She asked as they walked. “I mean, she _sounded_ healthy enough.”  
  
“Oh, she’s having the time of her life.” Eugene chuckled.  
  
They got back to her office and Eugene paused before walking over to the Wanted wall, taking down a poster. “Hey, uh, can you maybe see about spreading the word that _this_ is now null and void?” He set down a Wanted poster for “The Alchemist of Old Corona”. He had to admit, the kid looked _terrifying_ in it. “He’s had a turnaround and is now working for the royal family.”  
  
She shrugged. “I’ll take down the ones around here but, beyond this town’s borders, I have nothing to do with it.”  
  
“Right…” Eugene sighed. If Cassandra wasn’t a concern, he’d take another road trip just to go through and tear down every last one of those posters. He sighed and folded up the poster, then shoved it into his vest before turning to Andrew. “Let’s head back.”  
  
Andrew hummed thoughtfully. “I wonder why none of _us_ are on here?”  
  
“Guess Varian was just seen as a bigger threat.” Eugene frowned and took out the poster, looking at it. ‘Wanted: Alive. After hearing about his plans for him, I’m not surprised. They’ve managed to move past that, but…’ He clenched his fists on the poster, thinking of the telltale marks on Varian’s back, evidence of King Frederic’s cruelty carved into his body permanently.  
  
Frankly, if he was him, he didn’t know if he would forgive the King. Varian had always been so pure and sweet and loving, even showed reluctance when he had to fight them, when he’d lost everything because the King and his supposed friends had abandoned his village and then left him to be terrorized for months. He should _never_ have been subjected to what he went through, to be so hurt mentally that he would shut down and act like his life and freedom was on the line during a _sparring session_.  
  
They hadn’t gotten a chance to have another one since that day, but he’d been practicing on his own with practice dummies Eugene had helped him set up. And now he was shutting himself away to focus on _magic_ , something that he couldn’t understand but was the only one to be able to translate Demanitus’ old writing.  
  
He sighed and folded up the poster again before putting it back in his vest. “Let’s head back.” He told Andrew. “Tell Quaid I said hi, Vex.”  
  
“Yep.” She gave a vague wave as they left.  
  
They headed back to the balloon and got on. Eugene sighed and leaned on the edge as Andrew fired up to the burner and they lifted into the air.  
  
“…I feel sick.” He admitted.  
  
“Well, do it over the edge, not in the basket.” Andrew said with a shrug.  
  
“No, not like that. Well, a little bit. I just…” He sighed. “He didn’t deserve any of that.”  
  
“Varian?” Andrew adjusted their course.  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded. “He deserved _real_ friends not…not _us_. He deserved more than a one-sided give and no take.”  
  
“The sad thing is, until you guys, no one else would even give him the time of day. Well, not after ‘Miss Gothel’ died, at least.” Andrew shrugged.  
  
“…What?” Eugene looked at him.  
  
“That’s what he called her: ‘Miss Gothel’. Apparently, they had been unknowingly harboring Rapunzel’s kidnapper for years and never knew it until she died. When she wasn’t in the tower or out of the Kingdom, she stayed with them, right in the manor.” Andrew sighed. “He was pretty shocked to find out she was dead, that she died the day after he last spoke to her.”  
  
“I…had no idea. He never mentioned it.” Eugene frowned, looking at the landscape below.  
  
“Eugene, he called you ‘Flynn Rider’ for a year. I don’t think you knew _anything_ about him. For example, what’s his raccoon’s name?”  
  
“Ruddiger.” Eugene looked at him.  
  
“Did you know that _before_ he went to prison?” Andrew raised an eyebrow.  
  
“I…I don’t know.” Eugene admitted. “Still, all the people killed for supposedly harboring Rapunzel’s mysterious kidnapper and, _that whole time_ …”  
  
“Yeah.” Andrew nodded. “Imagine being the kid to find out the woman that was the closest thing to a maternal figure you ever had was a _kidnapper_. Suddenly, you’re second-guessing everything, wondering what would’ve happened if you had followed her home, would you ever see your father again?”  
  
Eugene cringed. “And yet, he still trusted _us_.” He gasped, gripping the edge of the basket. “Cass can’t learn about this. We’ve seen how pissed she is at Rapunzel for ‘stealing’ her mother, I can’t imagine _what_ she’d do if she found out that Varian knew her up until the day before she died, had spent time with her enough for her to be considered a maternal figure.”  
  
“We keep this between us.” Andrew nodded. “Don’t tell Rapunzel, either.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “…Now, I really _do_ feel sick.”  
  
Andrew turned away as Eugene deposited his lunch over the side of the basket and into the woods below.  
  
\--  
  
When they returned to Corona, Eugene was surprised to see Nigel pacing the courtyard, looking terrified and restless. “What happened?” He asked, looking around for any sign of an attack.  
  
“Oh, good, you’re back.” Nigel wrung his hands nervously. “I have something to confess. When you went down to see the boy, I followed you. I have since been…keeping an eye on him. He’s not alone.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Andrew asked.  
  
“’Little bird’.” Nigel said anxiously, glancing around. “In the chamber, watching him. ‘Little bird’.”  
  
“Little what?” Eugene raised an eyebrow, but Andrew’s eyes widened before he took off running. “Hey, what’s up?!” He ran after him.  
  
Nigel watched them go, then gasped sharply as he felt a chill on his neck before he collapsed to the courtyard stone. A green figure appeared next to him and gave a malicious smile before grabbing the man’s wrists and lifting him up and carrying him off.  
  
\--  
  
Andrew ran like the fires of Hell were at his heels and Eugene struggled to keep up. They made their way through the tunnels and back to the Demanitus Chamber, and once they got there Andrew ran down the stairs, startling Varian when he reached him. “Andrew, welcome back.” He said, lowering his chalk in alarm. “You okay? Is everything alright? Is Cassandra here?”  
  
“No.” Andrew gently placed his hands on his shoulder, calming down a bit before he pulled him close. “I just heard something alarming.”  
  
“What is it?” Varian asked.  
  
“Lucas is back.” He pulled back a bit. “I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”  
  
“Yeah, I-I’m fine.” Varian nodded. “Are you sure?”  
  
“Nigel said something about ‘little bird’ and you not being alone. Apparently, he’d been checking in on you while we were gone.” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“Okay, I’m not sure what freaks me out more, the fact that Nigel was ‘checking in on me’, or the fact that Lucas is apparently somewhere around here.” He looked over at the scorch marks near his cot. “…That probably explains _those_ , though.”  
  
He shrugged and turned back to his work. “Well, if Lucas is around, he’ll likely show up anywhere. If he wanted to hurt me, he would’ve by now, but he hasn’t even made his presence known to me so…you know, whatever.” He went back to his work. “Did you have a good trip?”  
  
“We did, yeah.” Andrew nodded. “Eugene, why don’t you go get him his lunch? I’ll stay here.”  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded and walked over to pick up the basket before he left.  
  
“It’s likely, based on the location, that Lucas protected me from Nigel.” Varian said softly. “He’s always been…weirdly possessive of me. You know how he is.”  
  
“You think the Royal Advisor intended you harm?” Andrew asked.  
  
“Why not? I’d do it if it were me.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“No, you wouldn’t. Because you didn’t.” Andrew reminded him.  
  
Varian was silent for a bit, then walked over to look over the scroll some more. Andrew sighed and walked over to look up at the amber stretching up to the top of the Device.   
  
‘You used the amber again…’ He thought. ‘That can’t have been easy for you.’ He smiled a bit, looking over at Varian. ‘You’ve gotten so much stronger, my friend.’  
  
\--  
  
Over the next couple days, Andrew kept an eye out for Lucas, but didn’t see any sign of him. But, he guessed that he might’ve seen him before, that strange green figure near Varian when they left. He pretended to leave once and looked back in to see the green figure hovering by Varian again, watching his work with a familiar grin that sent shivers down Andrew’s spine.  
  
Why was Lucas so invested in this scroll? Or was he just invested in Varian’s work? He was getting a bad feeling.  
  
Still, he didn’t seem to be dangerous and Varian had already asked Andrew to leave a few times, so he left it alone.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel and Juniper came back to Corona that night, looking bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. “Eugene!” Rapunzel greeted as he came up to greet them. “Oh, it was amazing there! They had hot springs and dragons and Pegasi and so much magic and science stuff! And Juniper made this for Pascal, to replace the egg!” She pulled out a warm orb.  
  
“Glad you had fun, Sunshine.” Eugene smiled.  
  
Juniper walked over to Andrew. “Here’s the mirror for the kid.” She held it out.  
  
“Awesome, thanks.” Andrew nodded. “Now I feel a bit more at ease about him being alone down there.”  
  
“I’m gonna go put my stuff away.” Rapunzel said, carrying her bag into the castle. She stopped and looked to the side, then gasped. “Nigel?!”  
  
“What?” Eugene went over to her and cringed.  
  
Nigel was shoved into the bushes, looking like he was asleep. He checked for a pulse and was relieved to find one, then carefully lifted the wiry man out of the bushes. “How long has he _been_ out here?”  
  
He'd been so focused on Varian, he didn’t think to check on the terrified advisor after they’d left his side!  
  
They got him to the medical bay and Andrew went to go take the mirror to Varian, having his suspicions about what had happened to the Royal Advisor.  
  
“Is he going to be okay? What happened to him?” Rapunzel asked anxiously.  
  
“Princess, please!” The doctor said, ushering her out.  
  
\--  
  
“He’d said that he wasn’t feeling well and asked for time off.” King Frederic said grimly. “I didn’t even question when he went missing. Do we have any theories? Is this Cassandra’s doing?”  
  
“Something much worse than Cassandra, I’m afraid.” Andrew said grimly. He’d brought Varian up with him and they were all in the throne room to discuss the Royal Advisor’s mysterious state.  
  
“What could be _worse_ than Cassandra?” Eugene frowned.  
  
“A Disciple of Zhan Tiri.” Andrew said grimly. “There’s been one lurking around the Capital ever since the snowstorm.”  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “Not that ‘Lucas’ guy?”  
  
Varian frowned, glancing away.  
  
“Is he going to wake up?” Queen Arianna asked anxiously.  
  
“We’ll have Clementine check him out, this might be beyond your doctors’ capabilities.” Juniper said grimly.  
  
“Please, do what you can.” Rapunzel pleaded.  
  
“Why would he attack Nigel?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Probably to protect _me_.” Varian said grimly. “It all adds up. Nigel hates me, there’s mysterious scorch marks near my cot, Nigel knows about Lucas being here, and when he tells _you_ about it, he goes missing?”  
  
“I _did_ see a green figure watching you work.” Andrew admitted. “But, I didn’t recognize him as Lucas.”  
  
“Why was Nigel in the Chamber at _all_?” Rapunzel frowned. “No, that doesn’t matter. What matters is that this ‘Lucas’ guy is apparently dangerous.”  
  
Varian raised an eyebrow at her. “Yeah, but we _knew_ that. And if he _wanted_ to hurt me, he has had _plenty_ of opportunity. If Andrew’s right, then he’s just watching me work on the scroll for some reason.” He sighed. “I’m going to continue as usual. You can focus on waking Nigel up, but _I’m_ going to focus on the scroll. Lucas has _been_ around, but Cassandra is on her way. We need to be ready for her.”  
  
They couldn’t argue with that logic, and they reluctantly let Varian return to work with a Communication Mirror to keep in contact with Andrew if needed. Clementine and Kline were called in to try to revive Nigel from whatever strange sleep he’d been put under.  
  
\--  
  
Wounded. Heartbroken. The Captain shakily pulled himself to his feet and looked around the island he’d washed up on after he’d been caught in a storm trying to follow Cassandra. He didn’t know where she went, but he knew that he had to find her. His Cassandra…his poor little girl…  
  
He clutched at his wound and stepped towards the jungle in hopes of finding someone that could help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can Nigel be saved? That's up to the Saporians, Rapunzel has other concerns.


	29. Dream

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Varian continues his work on the scroll and Clementine and Kline attempt to revive Nigel from his deep sleep, Rapunzel and Eugene return to Tirapai Island when Owl arrives at the castle alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Hm…” Rapunzel stood in front of a board in her room, with a basket of pictures she’d drawn and a bundle of strings next to it. “Why is a Disciple of Zhan Tiri so interested in Varian? Or rather, in the scroll translations?”  
  
“From what I’ve heard, he’s _always_ been interested in Varian.” Eugene said with a sigh. “I don’t think we need to worry about that guy. I mean, his putting Nigel in a deep sleep aside, he’s been…I dunno, kind of…passive?”  
  
“Hm…” Rapunzel started to pace, then stopped and faced her board again. “He was unsealed during the blizzard, at the same time as Sugracha and Tromus.” She pinned their pictures up, then a picture of what Zhan Tiri supposedly looked like, then connected them all by string. “At the time that I was being manipulated by Tromus, Cassandra was shown a strange vision.” She pinned up a picture of Cassandra and connected from Tromus to Cassandra. “And while _this_ was going on, Varian was being preyed upon by Lucas.” She pinned up a picture based on Andrew’s description of the Royal Guard/Disciple, then connected a string from him to a newly-pinned picture of Varian, then from him to Zhan Tiri. “The blizzard, sent by Zhan Tiri, was when Varian’s life completely fell apart, leaving him vulnerable for Lucas to sink his claws into his psyche.”  
  
“Sunshine, you’ve lost me.” Eugene sighed.  
  
“It all goes back to Zhan Tiri! The blizzard led to Varian’s madness, and he was guided into it by the Royal Guard, with Lucas pretty much taking the lead when the Captain wasn’t in charge of his, uh, _care_ , forcing him into desperation. And Cassandra was in a place owned by a Disciple of Zhan Tiri when she had the vision, which might be a sign that Zhan Tiri was connected to that! So, this all goes back to Zhan Tiri! …Somehow.”  
  
“What about Sugracha?” Eugene tapped the picture.  
  
“She was trying to get me before we set off, during which time I guess Lucas was also messing with Varian. Then, when I escaped her clutches and trapped her in the portal with Zhan Tiri, and later left the Kingdom, Tromus found me and tried to use me the same way. But, that vision…are we even _sure_ that it was telling the truth and Mother Gothel was her _real_ mother?” Rapunzel walked over to the balcony, clutching at her chest. “How much of our troubles have been the clever manipulations of a demon? If it wasn’t for the blizzard, I could’ve helped Varian that day.”  
  
“Yeah, but that would only _theoretically_ keep Varian from turning against us. We don’t know _what_ he’d do if you went and it turned out you couldn’t save him anyway.” Eugene walked out to join her. “Let’s not think about this too hard. Demon involvement or not, Cassandra is on her way and we’re missing a Captain of the Royal Guards. We need to figure out what to do about that, to replace him or something.”  
  
“Thanks to Lucas, we’re _also_ down a Royal Advisor.” Rapunzel sighed, looking out at the horizon. “Eugene…I’m scared. What if we can’t _stop_ her? What if she takes _everything_ from me?”  
  
“Hey, don’t think like that.” He held her close. “Things are going to be—Owl?”  
  
“Things are going to be owl?” She looked at him, then looked where he was looking. Cassandra’s Owl was flying up to them, something clutched in his talon’s grip. He collapsed onto the balcony and Rapunzel gasped, running to kneel next to him. “Owl!”  
  
He let out a weak hoot and let go of the object he was carrying. Rapunzel picked up both of them and carried him inside, setting him on her bed. “Eugene, this is…”  
  
“Pompoen Fruit.” He said grimly. “From the island with the Lorbs.”  
  
She nodded. “We have to go back to Tirapai Island.”  
  
\--  
  
Andrew let them take his balloon and a spare Communication Mirror and promised to take care of Varian while they were gone, and then they set off. Rapunzel watched the landscape pass by them, her grip tight on the basket.  
  
“Blondie, do you _really_ think Cass would go back to that island?” Eugene asked, turning to her. “I mean, with all the cursed idols, giant fire-breathing houseflies and crazy fish people?” He paused. “Actually, come to think of it, Cassandra is a pretty good fit for that place.”  
  
“This is our best lead so far.” Rapunzel said softly. “If I’m going to be able to talk to her before she gets to Corona…”  
  
“Rapunzel, are you even sure she _wants_ to talk?” Eugene asked. “I mean…by accident or not, she sent the fear rocks and might do it again.”  
  
She looked at him. “But, that’s just it! It was an accident! And we haven’t heard from her in _months_ , and then suddenly Owl shows up with a fruit that can _only_ be found on Tirapai Island?” She looked forward again. “I would say that’s a pretty good sign. And I _know_ that she’s still in there somewhere. She’s just being manipulated by the demonic cultists, that’s all! Tromus _said_ he’d be back for revenge! And where has _Lucas_ been? He just suddenly reappeared _now_ , after _months_ of being away! A-And there could be _more_ …”  
  
“Sunshine.” He placed his hand on hers. “You…can’t blame _everything_ bad on Zhan Tiri and his goons. _Cassandra_ chose to take the Moonstone, to attack us, to declare her takeover ambition.”  
  
She pulled her hand free, looking to the side. “I just…I just don’t know _why_ she would _turn on me_ , otherwise. It’s just…it’s just unbelievable.”  
  
He sighed and went to go back to the controls for the balloon. “Cassandra and Varian both acted out of anger. Varian has no reason to be angry anymore, and is healing, but Cassandra can’t get that closure.” He gripped the cord, glancing away. “Gothel’s…dead.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I know…Well, at the very least, it’ll be nice to see Alfons and the other Lorbs again.”  
  
“Yeah… _so_ looking forward to _that_.” Eugene cringed.  
  
\--  
  
They set down outside the Lorb village and got out. “Hello?” Rapunzel called.  
  
“Little leaf people, hello?” Eugene called, Owl flying over to land on his shoulder. “Well.” He lowered his hands. “Their little leaf people village looks empty. I was _not_ expecting it to be this quiet…”  
  
A white bird let out a loud caw and Eugene jolted, then looked up as he cawed again. “…He did that on purpose.” He declared, then walked off. Rapunzel laughed as she followed him.  
  
A search through the village revealed no sign of the Lorbs, not even their prideful leader. “Alfons?” Rapunzel called. “Okay, so, no Lorbs…” She looked into a building, then walked on. “It’s the frienfloofers!”  
  
“Hello! Is anyone here?” She called. “Anyone at all?”  
  
Eugene knelt down and picked up a coconut bowl and spoon, evidence of a “frienfloofer” being present. Then they heard a rustling sound and looked over. “Did you hear that?”  
  
“Yep.” Rapunzel looked over.  
  
A Lorb ran by, stopped and let out a “Woop!” before he ran on.  
  
“Hey, wait!” Rapunzel ran after him.  
  
They chased him from the village and into the jungle, Eugene following behind while Pascal sat on her shoulder and Owl flew overhead. “Stop, come back! We just have a few questions!”  
  
“This little guy sure can move. And with such little legs!” Eugene said as they ran through the jungle after it.  
  
They ran on, and then Rapunzel stopped short and inspected a shaking leaf. She poked him and he yelped. “Ah! Don’t hurt me, wild frienfloofers!”  
  
“Don’t you recognize us?” Rapunzel asked. It hadn’t been _that_ long since they were last here!  
  
“Hmm…” He looked at her closely. “Eh, sorry. All frienfloofers look alike. Except the new one.” He shrugged and hopped away.  
  
“What? ‘The new one’?” Rapunzel frowned. “Could he mean…?” She followed him. “Cass?”  
  
\--  
  
They found themselves in a party area, with Lorbs all around. “You can tell the new one apart by his mustache.” The Lord said helpfully.  
  
“’Mustache’?” Rapunzel and Eugene asked in unison, walking over to the firelight.  
  
To their shock, they saw the Captain of the Royal Guards dancing with the Lords. When he saw them, he stopped and stood up. “Princess? Fitzherbert!” He greeted cheerfully, then danced over to them. “What a surprise!” He pulled them into a hug. “Join the party!”  
  
“Captain?” Rapunzel asked, her brow furrowed as she watched him dance like a madman. “What are you _doing_ here?”  
  
“I think they call _this_ one the _Glaushsnuffer_.” He said thoughtfully, then knelt to pat one of the Lorbs on the head. “Aren’t these Lorb fellas great?”  
  
“No, not really. They treated us like pets.” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“Hm. Didn’t have _that_ problem.” The Captain stood up.  
  
“That’s because we love his mustache!” The Lorb said cheerfully.  
  
Eugene laughed a bit sardonically. “His mustache? _Really_? _That’s_ the reason?” He scoffed. “Well, look, it’s not _my_ fault my face is perfectly suited to a goatee.”  
  
“Oh, I know, I know.” Rapunzel assured him. “No one’s making fun of your perfectly-sculpted face.” She turned her attention back to the other man. “But Captain, really, what are you _doing_ here? Xavier said you left Corona _months_ ago to look for us!” She paused. “Oh, uhm, Corona’s okay now, by the way. They’re on our side now.”  
  
“I did. And I searched for you a long time! After a while, word had traveled that you’d returned to Corona, and that Cassandra had made… _other_ arrangements.” His shoulders slumped and he glanced to the side.  
  
Rapunzel reached up to place her hand on his shoulder. “Captain, I know how difficult this must be for you.”  
  
He chuckled a bit. “Difficult? No, see, that’s what makes this island so great!” He motioned for them to follow him. “Come, come, I want you to meet someone.”  
  
Owl flew off of Eugene’s shoulder as they walked into the firelight and stopped short as a little girl looked up at them. A little girl that looked a _lot_ like…  
  
“Hi, daddy!” She greeted.  
  
“Cassandra?!” Rapunzel and Eugene cried in alarm.  
  
They glanced at each other awkwardly. “But, that’s…” Rapunzel started, but the Captain interrupted her.  
  
“Cassandra! My daughter!” He said proudly.  
  
“Uhm…Captain, while she may _look_ like Cassandra…” Eugene started awkwardly.  
  
“Can it, Fitzherbert!” The little girl snapped.  
  
“Hahahaaa, and she certainly _sounds_ like her, uh, I can’t help but think that you may have overlooked one small detail: She’s four!” He gestured to her.  
  
“Daddy, watch me!” “Cassandra” said, and the Captain looked towards her before walking over to her.  
  
“What is it, Cassandra?” He asked cheerfully.  
  
“ _This_ must be why Owl _brought_ us here.” Rapunzel said softly, looking at Eugene.  
  
“Well, we know for sure it’s not the _real_ Cassandra turned younger by that top. Her hair would be blue.” Eugene reminded her.  
  
Rapunzel nodded and they walked over to join the Captain and his “daughter”.  
  
“Oh, what do we have here, little one?” The Captain cooed as he watched her stack blocks.  
  
“Captain.” Rapunzel walked over to him. “Uh, a word, please?”  
  
He got up and walked over to her and they sat down together, Rapunzel struggling to figure out how to say what she wanted to while he happily watched his daughter from a distance. Or, what he thought was his daughter. “Captain, um… _where_ did she come from?”  
  
“Uh, I understand your concern.” He said, looking at her. “At first, _I_ couldn’t believe it, either!” He placed one hand on Rapunzel’s shoulder and the other on his chest. “But, now I think I can explain.”  
  
“Well, we’re all ears.” Eugene walked over to him.  
  
“I guess, sometimes, the universe simply hears your heart’s desire.” The Captain looked to the side.  
  
“Well, that clears _that_ up. Thanks.” Eugene said sarcastically.  
  
“And gives you a second chance.” The Captain added softly, his gaze wistful, before he looked over at his “daughter”.  
  
“It’s time for _shalpendoofen_!” A Lorb declared.  
  
“Oh boy, _shalpendoofen_!” The Captain walked over to pick up “Cassandra”. “They always win, but maybe today’s our day. Right, Cass?”  
  
“That’s right, daddy!” She said, hugging him before they headed off to join the game of limbo.  
  
Rapunzel and Eugene exchanged unsure glances before watching the game. To their horror, they realized that something was strange about “Cassandra”!  
  
“She doesn’t have a shadow?” Eugene asked shakily.  
  
\--  
  
“So, we didn’t find Cassandra here. I mean, we kind of _did_ , but also not. We found the Captain here, though, and he’s got this creepy version of Cassandra that doesn’t have a shadow. Also, she’s four years old.” Eugene said as he held the Communication Mirror.  
  
“Sounds like dark magic.” Andrew said thoughtfully. “You’ve been there before, right?”  
  
“Yeah, and it was…kind of intense. There was this totem that when you held it you’d see your greatest desire, but if you kept it for too long, the vision, uh…” Rapunzel glanced to the side, “it changed into your greatest fear.” She still recalled vividly the happy vision of her father being changed into one of Varian forcing him into being his test subject. How _wrong_ she’d been about the situation back in Corona!  
  
“Do you think this is something similar?” Andrew asked.  
  
“Not sure. Possibly.” Rapunzel nodded. “What do you think this girl is? A demon?”  
  
“Demons have shadows. She’s probably just an apparition, a specter. A vision at most, like what you saw before.” Andrew assured her.  
  
“Yeah, but before only the person holding the totem could see the vision. _Everyone_ can see this, uh, little Cassandra.” Eugene said, shaking his head.  
  
“Hm…look around the island, I’m sure you’ll find the answers. I can’t do much to help from over here.” Andrew shook his head.  
  
“That’s alright, thanks anyway.” Rapunzel sighed. “It’s getting late. We should sleep.”  
  
“Sweet dreams, Princess.” Andrew said, before he tapped the mirror on his side and the mirror went dark.  
  
“So…” Eugene sighed. “Tomorrow, we look for dark magic.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “I thought she would _be_ here…where _is_ she?”  
  
Eugene scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s gonna be okay, Blondie.”  
  
\--  
  
The next morning, Rapunzel volunteered to keep an eye on the “vision” with Pascal, while Eugene and Owl went looking around for what could’ve created it. It was hard to look at the little girl and see her as anything but, just that, a little girl, even though she could see she didn’t have a shadow as she ran around picking flowers.  
  
“Daddy, daddy, look what I found!” The vision said as she held up the flowers excitedly.  
  
“So nice of you to join us on our outing today, Princess.” The Captain said cheerfully as he carried a picnic basket.  
  
“Well, how could I pass up the chance to spend time with a little Cass?” Rapunzel asked, looking over at the vision.  
  
She hated to admit it, but she _was_ enjoying this time with her friend again, even if it was just a vision of her as a four-year-old. She thought wistfully of when she and Eugene were watching over seven-year-old Cassandra in the House of Yesterday’s Tomorrow.  
  
She gasped, seeing she’d disappeared. “Uh oh!” She looked around. “Cass?”  
  
“Don’t worry, Princess, Cassandra will be fine.” He assured her with a chuckle.  
  
Rapunzel started to check the bushes for the child, forgetting for the moment that it was just a vision. “Cass? Cassandra, where’d you go?”  
  
She looked up and saw the vision sneaking up behind the Captain. “Oh, there you are!” She said, running over to her.  
  
“Cassandra” held up a brush she had been hiding behind her back. “I wanted daddy to brush my hair…”  
  
“Well, why didn’t you just ask him?” She asked. “He’s getting the picnic set up, why don’t _I_ brush your hair?”  
  
“Okay.” The vision shrugged. Rapunzel smiled at the Captain and then they sat down so she could brush her hair. She couldn’t help but think of how Cassandra’s hair had grown out this long when she took the Moonstone and bit her lip, trying not to cry when thinking of that moment of sudden betrayal.  
  
She gasped when she felt tiny hands touch her cheeks and smiled a bit as little “Cassandra” wiped away the tears she’d failed to fight. “Why are you crying, Princess?” She asked, looking up at her.  
  
“I’m just…you remind me of…someone I know. Someone I…lost.” Rapunzel said sadly, then let out another soft gasp when she was hugged.  
  
“It’s okay, Princess. You’re not alone. You don’t have to be sad.” The vision said, squeezing her gently.  
  
She certainly _felt_ real, and she was so _sweet_ …Rapunzel couldn’t help but think that this was the “happiness” part of the magic…and the nightmare was yet to come.  
  
\--  
  
Eugene was trying to read Lorb books he found in their tiny houses. “Hmm…Nope, can’t read it. Should’ve brought a magnifying glass or something but, since I don’t have one, I’m not finding any lead here.” He put the book back.  
  
Owl hooted at him and he rolled his eyes. “Well, not _all_ of us can see a mouse from _twenty feet in the air_ , okay? Tell you what, _you_ read these, _I’m_ going to see if I can find anything _bigger_ to read!” He crawled out of the Lorb hut and Owl followed him out.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel sighed as she looked out over the sea, her Communication Mirror in her hand. “We haven’t found _anything_ yet, and she just…she’s just so _sweet_.”  
  
“So were the visions you saw before they changed into nightmares.” Andrew reminded her. “You can’t let down your guard around magic, especially not _this_ kind.”  
  
Rapunzel looked over at “Cassandra” running up to her father. “I have to warn him. This happiness, it…it likely won’t last forever. I don’t know all the details yet, though, Eugene and Owl are looking for that.” She cleared her throat. “How, uhm…how about Lucas? Any trouble from him?”  
  
“No, he’s just hovering around Varian. I don’t think he’s even talked to him yet, or at least he doesn’t do it when I’m around. He’s just watching him work.” Andrew sighed. “Maybe Varian was right, maybe Nigel was intending to harm him and that’s why he got attacked. If Lucas wanted to hurt Varian, he would’ve by now. He has before, after all, I don’t know _why_ he’d hesitate now.”  
  
“I don’t know. Have you tried calling out to him?” Rapunzel asked, smiling a bit as father and “daughter” played together, the Captain swinging her around in the air.  
  
“Nope, and I’m not going to. It’ll distract Varian and he’ll ask me to leave again. Look, you should probably focus on your vision thing, I’ll worry about the Disciple.”  
  
“Alright.” She sighed. “See you later, Andrew.”  
  
“Take care, Rapunzel.”  
  
She tapped the mirror to cancel the magic and put it back in her satchel before she got up to join them, gasping. “Is that a _kite_?!” She squealed and ran over. “I _love_ kites!”  
  
“Well, let’s play with it, then!” The Captain smiled as “Cassandra” waved the string eagerly.  
  
\--  
  
Eugene had found some strange writing and was imprinting it onto some parchment in hopes that it might lead to some form of answers. “Well, not sure if these _mean_ anything, but maybe Rapunzel could help us make heads or tails out of them.”  
  
Owl hooted in reply.  
  
“Ohh, poor lost frienfloofer!” A Lorb he hadn’t noticed said, and he looked over. “Can I help you find your owner?”  
  
“No, see, I don’t _have_ an owner.” Eugene said with annoyance.  
  
The Lorb gasped and turned away. “STRAY FRIE—” She was abruptly cut off by Owl swooping down and perching on the creature, pinning it face-down in the dirt with an aggressive hoot.  
  
“…Right. You’re an _attack_ owl.” Eugene said thoughtfully.  
  
The Lorb squirmed under the bird of prey and he curled his talons around it aggressively, letting out an aggressive screech. The Lorb stilled and Owl lifted his talon off it before flying up to Eugene’s shoulder and glaring down at the villager.  
  
“Might not want to tick off my friend here.” Eugene said with a grin before he walked off, humming happily with his rolled-up parchment of random Lorb drawings.  
  
They heard yelling and figured the little snitch must’ve told the others about what happened and they picked up the pace before ducking into the bushes, letting a crowd of angry Lorbs run by. Once they were gone, he looked to the side. “Oh! What do we have here?”  
  
He stepped out of the bushes and walked into a cave. “Oh-ho?” He said as he stepped further inside. “Check out this place…” He said thoughtfully, looking around. “Hello? Someone in here?”  
  
He heard muffled yelling and looked to the side. “What?”  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel watched as “Cassandra” dug a hole in the sand. Pascal looked into the hole and Rapunzel looked forward a bit to see what was inside. “Oh, look!” She smiled. “Looks like you found something, Cass!”  
  
Pascal used his tongue to pull out the crab, then darted for safety when it decided to retaliate, making all the humans laugh. He changed his colors to match the crab and pointed the crab along, prompting more laughter when the crab left in search of the lizard.  
  
He breathed a sigh of relief and climbed up onto Rapunzel’s shoulder. Rapunzel sighed and watched as “Cassandra” went to start making a sandcastle with her father. “I know I shouldn’t be getting too comfortable with this…that I’m falling into the same trap as he is…but, I…I _really miss her_.” She wiped at her eyes. “I know the dream can’t last forever…and the nightmare is coming…but I just…I _want_ it to last longer. He deserves this, this…happiness.” She smiled fondly at the duo. “I mean, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this happy when he wasn’t under the influence of a mood potion.”  
  
Pascal nodded, looking a bit guilty at the reminder of his mistake a year ago. Rapunzel sighed, a soft smile on her face as she watched them play.  
  
“Do we even have any proof that there _is_ a nightmare coming? Just because that’s what happened with the totem?” She asked softly. “Maybe…maybe he doesn’t have to lose her again.”  
  
“Daddy! Daddy! Higher!” “Cassandra” said happily as he lifted her into the air and swung her around, laughing.  
  
“No one’s ever going to harm you, little one.” He promised, holding her close. “You’re safe with me.”  
  
He set her down and they started to play in the water.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happiness is...


	30. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No matter how pleasant the dream, everyone has to wake up sometime. The Captain learns this the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel walked with the Captain to their hut, “Cassandra” fast asleep in his arms. He set her inside the hut and then turned to her. “Good night, Princess.”  
  
“Sleep well.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
She watched him go in, then looked over as she heard, “Pst, Rapunzel!”  
  
“Eugene?” She turned to him. “Hey, haven’t seen you all day.” She walked over to him. “Look, I’m starting to think that maybe—”  
  
“Ba ba ba ba.” Eugene interrupted her.  
  
“What?” She blinked.  
  
“You have to follow me. Now.” Eugene insisted.  
  
“Ha! There they are!” They heard a Lorb yell.  
  
“And the faster the better.” Eugene said, getting up from where he had been hiding and running off, Rapunzel following him.  
  
“What happened?” She asked as they ran.  
  
“I guess they didn’t take kindly to Owl attacking one of them for messing with me!” Eugene said, taking her hand and pulling her along.  
  
“Eugene, wait! Slow down!” She cried as he pulled her along, then gasped as he pulled her into a cave. “What? What is it? Did you _find_ something?”  
  
“More like…” he panted, letting go of her hand to grip his legs, catching his breath, “some _one_.”  
  
He pulled aside vines and she gasped, seeing a familiar Lorb. “Alfons! Where have you been?”  
  
“I found him locked up!” Eugene told her.  
  
“Yes! It was _awful_!” Alfons cried. “The mustached frienfloofer. _He_ did this!”  
  
“The Captain?” Rapunzel asked in disbelief.  
  
“Oh, yeah! Follow me!” Alfons said, hopping down and leading them over to a wall covered in vines. “I will explain everything!”  
  
They walked over to join him and he gripped the vines. “The mustached frienfloofer came for _this_.” He pulled the vines aside to reveal a mural. “The Fountain of Anbietengenpfeifen.” He looked at them, then back at the mural as he pulled more vines aside. “It was enchanted by the Lorb Warlock, Horb, to grant wishes.”  
  
“So, _that’s_ how four-year-old Cass got here.” Rapunzel realized. “He _wished_ for her!”  
  
“I first suspected the mustached frienfloofer’s intentions when I found him digging in search of the fountain’s magical coin.” Alfons went on. “I tried to warn him, but he didn’t listen, and locked me up!”  
  
“Warn him of _what_?” Eugene asked. Rapunzel pursed her lips, dread creeping in.  
  
“You know firsthand of the wickedness behind Lorb magic!” Alfons said, pointing at them. “The fountain gives you what you want…at first.” He pulled more vines aside.  
  
“Oh, let me guess.” Rapunzel sighed. “Then the wickedness comes in.”  
  
“Yes. Unless the wisher takes his wish back, the fountain takes even the _purest_ of wishes and twists them into the darkest nightmares,” Alfons warned them, “at sunset on the ninth day.”  
  
“ _When_ did he make the wish?” Rapunzel asked. Alfons just stared at her and she sighed. “Oh. Nine days ago.”  
  
“Of course.” Eugene said in an exasperated tone.  
  
\--  
  
“Captain?” Rapunzel knocked on the door to his hut. “We _really_ need to talk.”  
  
The door opened and he looked out at her. Rapunzel sighed. “Look, we _know_ about the fountain.” She said firmly. He looked around and then climbed out before shutting the door. “And I know this is really hard to hear…it’s hard for me to even _say_ …but…”  
  
“Something _really bad_ is coming if you don’t take that wish back _right now_.” Eugene said, taking the weight off her as the Captain walked past them.  
  
He stopped and looked back at them with a broken expression. “It’s worth the price.”  
  
“But, the magic on this island _nearly_ did us in.” Rapunzel said anxiously. “You _cannot_ take that risk!”  
  
“I have to.” He turned to her fully. “It’s my only hope.” He looked grim. “Rapunzel, when I said I stopped looking for Cassandra…I lied.” He sighed. “I traveled tirelessly in search of my daughter. I tracked her down to this…maze. Black rocks were everywhere. I…” He clenched his fists a bit. “I pulled out my sword, detecting movement behind me, but didn’t see anything. And then…I found her. She attacked me. Her sword completely destroyed mine, she overpowered me so easily. She looked at me with such…her eyes were so cold, like ice, and she looked…changed.”  
  
He sighed, looking to the side. “I asked her why she turned her back on you, and she…I don’t know how, but she found out somehow about her heritage. She was _furious_. She…I think she wanted me _dead_. And I…I commanded her to surrender, like she was some common criminal. She trapped me in the maze by destroying part of the wall, but I managed to find my way out and I went in search of her once more, but I…I couldn’t take it. I lost hope.”  
  
He turned away from them, his head bowed. “She was filled with a rage I have never seen. That person…wasn’t Cassandra. I’d lost her. I ended up caught in a storm and washed up here, where I found out about the fountain…and decided that nine days with my little girl was worth whatever happened to me after.” He walked back to his hut and shut the door.  
  
“Captain, _please_!” Rapunzel cried. “We are _out_ _of_ _time_! It’s almost sundown!”  
  
As if on cue, the ground started to shake under them. Rapunzel looked over to see the sun almost completely finished setting. ‘We’re too late.’ She thought fearfully, then ran to knock on his door again. “Captain, you don’t understand! Only _you_ can take your wish back!” She looked at Alfons urgently. “If you don’t take that coin out of the fountain, the Lorb magic will turn on you!”  
  
“Blondie,” Eugene said nervously, “I think that ship has sailed.”  
  
They turned to see a bird form of Cassandra flying into the trees nearby, followed by several others just like her. “I recognize that bird…” Eugene said warily.  
  
“Hello.” One of them turned to look at them.  
  
“Hello.” Another bird said, looking at them.  
  
“Hello.” The rest said in unison, looking at them.  
  
They then all gained malicious looks, poised to swoop down and attack.  
  
Eugene stepped back and looked at Rapunzel. “ _So_ glad we came back to this island.” He said sarcastically, then yelled, “Run!” As they took off running, the Cassanbirds following behind. “Okay! Okay! I don’t know _what_ wickedness I was expecting, but it _definitely_ was _not_ this!” He cried as they tried to avoid being pecked at.  
  
They stopped short as they saw not one, not two, but _way too much_ Cassandras coming towards them, all in different clothes they’d seen her wear. “Well, hello, _friends_.” One of the Royal Guard Cassandras said, slashing at the bush in front of her with her sword.  
  
They all started to laugh in the same identically evil way, walking towards them. Rapunzel and Eugene looked around and then at each other before he drew his sword and she let down her hair. “Alright, Blondie, let’s do this! And just remember, they are _not_ the real Cass.”  
  
They ran at the duo, still laughing. Rapunzel used her hair to wrap around a few of them, and Eugene fended off another with his sword.  
  
“Could sure use Juniper right about now.” He said as he struggled against her, then blocked another.  
  
“You’re still here?” One of the Cassandras asked mockingly. “I thought Raps would’ve _dumped_ you by now.”  
  
“Your goatee looks as dumb as ever!” Another said as he blocked her attack.  
  
“Oh! Well, now I’m _keeping_ the goatee, just to spite you!” He retorted cheerfully. “And you.” He blocked another’s attack. “And you.” He blocked yet another’s.   
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel looked around nervously as she found herself surrounded by Cassandras. “Oh. Hello, Cassandras…” She said nervously. “Cassandri. Cassandries. _How_ would you like me to address you?” She took off running, wanting to get _away_ from them.  
  
She ended up running right into a group of Lady-In-Waiting Cassandras and struggled to escape as one of them forced a shoe on her foot. “No!”  
  
“Don’t _fight_ me, Rapunzel. You have to wear your shoes.” The Cassandra said.  
  
“Ah!” Rapunzel cried out.  
  
“Let me braid your hair.” Another Cassandra said, roughly brushing her hair.  
  
They screamed as a gust of wind knocked them away, and then Juniper jumped down from the sky and slashed at them. “Hope I’m not too late for the fun!”  
  
“Juniper, how did _you_ get here?” Rapunzel asked as she got up.  
  
“I came after you guys as soon as Drew told me there was dark magic. He figured you’d need the backup.” She said, slashing at another Cassandra. “Back off, Ladies!”  
  
“Well, I’m _so_ glad you’re here. The Captain won’t return his wish, and now there’s Cassandras everywhere!” Rapunzel cried, using her hair to knock a few Cassandras away.  
  
“So, _this_ is ‘Cassandra’? Huh. I’m questioning my brother’s taste in women.” Juniper said as she kicked one of them away before she held out her hand, firing off another gust of wind to knock them away. “Ember!”  
  
A red Pegasus came down and knocked into more Cassandras. “Who’s this?” Rapunzel asked with surprise.  
  
“My partner, Ember. She was sick when you visited, so I didn’t introduce her before. I brought her from the Caves to surprise you, but then I got word from Andrew you needed help and we took off flying.” Juniper said as she blocked a Cassandra from hitting Rapunzel.  
  
“Juniper, can you hold them while I find the Captain?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Call if you need backup!” Juniper shot out another gust of wind as Rapunzel ran back to the Captain’s hut and then slashed at a couple Cassandras.  
  
“Dad! Dad, are you in there?” A Cassandra asked as a bunch of them tried to get inside the hut.  
  
“Come out, come out, wherever you are!” One of the Topified-Cassandras said as she beat on the hut with a mallet.  
  
She ran around the back, looking through a gap in the wood. “Captain, _please_ , you _have_ to undo the wish!”  
  
She looked around and gasped. “He’s gone.” She realized, looking around. She spotted him running for their hot-air balloon and hurried after him.  
  
\--  
  
“Don’t be afraid, little one.” The Captain assured her as he carried his little daughter. “Daddy’s got you.”  
  
“Wait! Please!” Rapunzel cried, running up to him as he put her inside the basket. “You _have_ to undo the wish!”  
  
“I don’t want to _hear_ it, Rapunzel!” He said firmly, climbing in and starting up the balloon. “I have my daughter back!” He held her close to him.  
  
“Captain, I know these _feelings_ are real, but _she’s_ not!” Rapunzel gestured to her. “The _real_ Cass is still _out_ there somewhere!”  
  
“Daddy?” His little girl looked up at him.  
  
“Listen to me, soldier.” Rapunzel said, putting on her stern Princess voice. “You do _not_ just get to forget about Cass and start over. Family sticks together!”  
  
He looked at her, then his daughter, then turned back to the balloon controls and started to lift off. “No, Rapunzel. This is my _only_ chance!” He picked up Cassandra.  
  
“No!” Rapunzel cried as they lifted out of her reach.  
  
“I _know_ I can do right by her this time.” He insisted.  
  
“Whoa! Ah!” Eugene cried, catching Rapunzel’s attention.  
  
A red blur flew past Rapunzel and the Captain found his path blocked by one of the Saporians, Juniper. “You know, when you took off to find ‘help’, I didn’t realize you _actually_ took off to be a coward!” She said coldly. “Your Kingdom _needs_ you, and your _Princess_ is in danger! You call yourself a soldier? You’re nothing but a washed-up old man with delusions of fatherhood!”  
  
“You don’t understand! I lost my daughter!” He held Cassandra close. “I can’t lose her again!”  
  
“Cassandra isn’t _dead_.” Juniper said firmly. “And if _I_ had the chance to have my dead father back in exchange for damning the world, I wouldn’t do it! You need to take responsibility for your screwups and try to fix things the proper way! Turn back!”  
  
He looked away from her, then gasped as he found his balloon caught by golden hair. “Juniper, I’ve got him! Help Eugene!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
Juniper flew down and hopped off of the Pegasus to draw her sword and help Eugene fight the Cassandras while Rapunzel pulled the balloon back with her hair. It was too much, though, and she got lifted into the air. “Ahh!”  
  
“Get on!” Juniper grabbed Eugene and pulled him onto the Pegasus with her before they lifted into the air, out of reach of the danger.  
  
“Have I ever said how much I _love_ having you for an ally?” He asked as he looked down at the Cassandras.  
  
The Captain looked down at them, then looked at his daughter before he set her down. “Now we can start over, Daddy. Right?” She asked cheerfully. “No one but you and me.”  
  
He looked to his shadow and realized with a start that Cassandra…didn’t _have_ one. He gasped and backed up to the wall of the basket.  
  
 ** _{I know these_ feelings _are real, but_ she’s _not!}_  
**  
 ** _{Cassandra isn’t dead! And if_ I _had the chance to have my father back in exchange for damning the world, I wouldn’t do it!}_**  
  
 ** _{Listen to me, soldier. You do_ not _just get to forget about Cass and start over. Family sticks together!}_**  
  
“Daddy?” Cassandra reached her little hands up to him.  
  
 ** _{You_ have _to undo the wish!}_**  
  
He let out a resigned sigh.  
  
\--  
  
“I can’t believe it.” Rapunzel said as she looked up at the balloon. “He’s given up.”  
  
“Come on, Raps.” Juniper offered her a hand. “With any luck, the dark magic won’t leave the island.”  
  
Suddenly, the balloon changed direction and Ember had to shift to follow its path. “Maybe not.” Eugene said hopefully.  
  
“He will pay.” One of the Cassandra said as they flew over the mob.  
  
“Get them!” Another yelled.  
  
“Would you believe I’m actually starting to miss the _real_ Cass?” Eugene asked as they flew over the laughing and yelling mob. “I mean, her charm, her wit, the fact that there was only _one_ of her…”  
  
Juniper laughed.  
  
The Captain flew the balloon until he reached a cave, where he slowly set down so Rapunzel could safely untie herself and move out of the way. Ember landed next to it and Juniper and Eugene climbed off, as Owl flew over to land on Eugene’s shoulder.  
  
The Captain stepped out of the balloon, holding little “Cassandra” in his arms. “Princess…you’re right.” He said sadly, then took on a determined expression. “I _haven’t_ failed Cassandra yet! Just as long as I don’t abandon my daughter! My _real_ daughter.”  
  
“Well said.” Juniper nodded.  
  
“He will pay for his wish!” They heard a Cassandra saying.  
  
“Captain, go!” Rapunzel said as she grabbed her hair and Eugene and Juniper drew their swords. “We’ll hold them off!”  
  
“Oh, Rapunzel.”  
  
She looked over to see a new Cassandra had joined the mob, one with long, flowing blue hair with a black streak on the left side of her face and black, white and blue armor. On her chest was the Moonstone, nestled in the middle of the Brotherhood symbol, and her eyes were cold and ice-blue. She drew her sword with a cold smile.  
  
“That is one of the _fake_ Casses, right?” Eugene asked nervously.  
  
“She doesn’t have a shadow.” Juniper assured him. “She’s just a vision.”  
  
“Oh, good.” Eugene nodded.  
  
Rapunzel scowled. “You are _not real_.” She gripped her hair tighter.  
  
“Oh, you _would_ say that, Princess. You’ve _never_ taken me seriously. You never take _anything_ seriously!” The blue-haired Cassandra said, then she ran towards them. Rapunzel ran at her and Eugene and Juniper prepared to fight the other Cassandras.  
  
“Whatever we do, we don’t let them near the cave!” Juniper reminded Eugene before firing off another gust of wind at the mob.  
  
“Got it!” Eugene said, clashing swords with one that evaded the wind.  
  
\--  
  
“Daddy, what are we doing?” Cassandra asked as the Captain carried her into the cave. “Why are we here?”  
  
He set her down in front of the fountain, a sad smile on his face before it faltered entirely and he started to cry. “I’m sorry, Cassandra. I’m so sorry.”  
  
Eugene got knocked back into the cave. “You gotta take the coin out, Cap, we can’t do it for you!” He insisted, then ran back into the battle.  
  
“You mean…you’re gonna _leave_ me?” She asked, sounding heartbroken. He felt his own heart break at the sound.  
  
“No. I’ll never leave you.” He said softly, smiling shakily. “The _real_ you. From now on, I’ll always be with you.”  
  
He leaned over the fountain and started to reach in. “No, Daddy. Please, don’t.” She pleaded, touching his arm with her tiny hand. “Please!” She held his face in both hands, looking into his eyes with her own.  
  
\--  
  
“He’s sure taking his time!” Juniper said as the three of them fought back the Cassandras.  
  
“He doesn’t want to do it!” Eugene as he fought off a Cassandra.  
  
Rapunzel was focused on the one with blue hair, which left the rest of them to the rest of the battle party.  
  
“You know something?” Eugene realized. “She’s _definitely_ not real. No black rocks.”  
  
The other Cassandras stopped and watched as the two of them clashed, and then they leaped into the air at the same time and clashed with a flash of white light before landing, facing away from each other.   
  
“Ngh.” Rapunzel slumped to her knees and Eugene and Juniper ran to her side.  
  
‘How can I hope to beat the real thing, if I can’t defeat a _vision_?’ Rapunzel thought anxiously as they all stood together, the Cassandras surrounding them and moving closer.  
  
“Okay, guys, let’s…split this up three ways. I’ll take this hundred, you two take the other two hundred.” Rapunzel said nervously.  
  
“Sounds great.” They said in unison, as the Cassandras all started laughing.  
  
They charged at the trio and they prepared to fight. Suddenly, they all started to turn into ash and fell apart. Juniper moved herself in front of Rapunzel to shield her from the sight and Eugene covered his own face. Before they knew it, it was silent.  
  
“You okay, Raps?” Juniper asked, and she nodded shakily. They then looked up to see the Captain stepped out of the cave alone.  
  
He looked at his clenched fist with a forlorn expression and then tossed a coin away from him. “Let’s go get my daughter back.” He said firmly, a determined look in his eyes.  
  
Rapunzel smiled with relief.  
  
\--  
  
The next morning, the Lorbs saw them all off. “Sorry for all the trouble.” The Captain said as she held Alfons’ hand.  
  
“Eh, say no more. This island seems to have that effect on frienfloofers. Hm.” Alfons assured him.  
  
“Hey, Raps, ride with me?” Juniper patted Ember’s back.  
  
Rapunzel climbed out of the balloon and onto Ember’s back with a squeal. Juniper stroked Ember’s mane and then they left into the air as the balloon lifted off, Owl flying into the air. Pascal climbed from Rapunzel’s shoulder to Juniper and nuzzled her with a squeak.  
  
“We’ll find her, Captain.” Rapunzel assured him as they started to fly away.  
  
“I won’t give up until we _do_.” He said firmly.  
  
“We’ll miss you, mustached frienfloofer!” Alfons called to them. “And you, too, wild frienfloofers!”  
  
“What’s a ‘frienfloofer’?” Juniper asked with amusement.  
  
“It’s what they call humans.” Eugene explained, then smiled at the Captain. “It’s good to have you back, Cap.”  
  
“It _truly_ is.” Rapunzel agreed. “Let’s go home.”  
  
They picked up the pace and flew back towards Corona together, Owl flying behind them.  
  
\--  
  
“Ngh!”  
  
Cassandra let out a growl as she looked at the unconscious man before her. “You _really_ thought you could beat _me_ , when I’ve become _this_ powerful?” She stepped on him, earning a groan of pain. “Huh, Hector? You and the rest of the Brotherhood are a _joke_ now.”  
  
“Enough gloating, Cassandra.” The girl said, floating past her. “We _need_ to find those incantations.”  
  
“Well, this is all that’s _left_ of the Great Tree.” Cassandra said with another stomp on Hector’s chest for emphasis. “The incantations were _destroyed_.”  
  
“Agh!” Hector protested.  
  
“Those incantations were our _only_ hope of unlocking the power of the Moonstone.” The girl said, floating over to her irritably. “Aside from the Demanitus Scroll, but _that_ was destroyed millennia ago.” She floated back over to look through the scrolls.  
  
Cassandra gasped and took her foot off of Hector’s chest, turning to her. “Did you say ‘Demanitus Scroll’?”  
  
The girl looked back at her, confused.  
  
“Ha.” Cassandra laughed to herself, thinking of the scroll that they had spent a year collecting the pieces of; the scroll that _no one could read_ – except for one extremely intelligent teenager that they’d left back in Corona. With Rapunzel now back in Corona as well, that meant that she had most likely shown him the scroll to translate it for her.  
  
“Looks like our next stop is Corona.” She said with a sly smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CASSANDRA'S COMING HOOOOOOOME!  
> (Cassandra's coming home.)  
> CASSANDRA'S COMING HOOOOOOOME!  
> (Cassandra's coming home.)  
> CASSANDRA'S COMING HOME,  
> OH, SHE'S BEEN FINDING HERSELF FOR SO LOOOOONG!  
> Cassandra: So, what did I miss?


	31. Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Edmund returns to Corona with big news!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The Captain had been shocked to find out what happened to Nigel, but felt relief that the Saporians, who were now on their side, were already working on freeing him from, as the Saporian Kline had put it, “the confines of his own mind”. He didn’t understand it, he wasn’t sure he _wanted_ to, so he focused his efforts on making sure the Royal Guard was ready in case of an attack.  
  
Juniper, to his surprise, volunteered to help train the Royal Guard. Speaking of surprises, he had found out the following people were royalty:  
  
Eugene Fitzherbert, though apparently his _real_ name was Horace Lune, not that he’d ever, _ever_ go by that name. He was, apparently, Prince of the Dark Kingdom.  
  
Andrew and Juniper Sapor were the Prince and Princess of Saporia. Luckily, they didn’t seem to bear him any ill will for what Andrew had experienced at the hands of the Royal Guard.  
  
Also, good news, they’d found a way to free Varian’s father! And boy was _that_ an awkward interaction when he came to the castle on business. An interaction that mostly consisted of him staring the Captain down and saying “You’re lucky that Varian is so forgiving” before he walked on.  
  
Speaking of which, said alchemist was apparently working on some secret project and wasn’t to be disturbed, and he was perfectly happy with delaying their meeting considering the _last_ time they met, he’d been leaning on the King’s shoulder with a sly smile as King Frederic ordered people to the mines.  
  
It had been a month since his return to Corona, and he had gotten used to Juniper’s rather brutal training methods, even admired them. He was therefore surprised when she got startled by a _crow_ slamming into her.  
  
“Agh!” She stumbled back and groaned. “Hamuel? Hey, buddy.”  
  
The crow cawed at her, then flew off to land on the shoulder of a large and imposing man.   
  
“Your Majesty!” Juniper walked over to greet him. “We didn’t get notice you’d be arriving.”  
  
“I wanted to surprise people. Is Princess Rapunzel around?” He asked, looking around.  
  
“She’s with her parents. Want me to tell Eugene you’re here?” Juniper asked.  
  
“Ah, actually, I don’t want him to know yet. Show me to her?” The man asked.  
  
“Of course, right this way.” Juniper walked him in.  
  
“That’s Eugene’s dad.” Pete offered helpfully before The Captain could ask.  
  
…Ah.  
  
\--  
  
“Edmund!” Rapunzel greeted as he came in with Juniper. “It’s so good to see you!” She walked over and hugged him and he chuckled.  
  
“How is the search going?” King Frederic asked.  
  
“Er, it’s…going.” King Edmund sighed. “She’s slippery, like an eel.” He glanced away. “I _hate_ eels.” He then looked back at them and cleared his throat. “I’m here because I have something important to tell you all.”  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel couldn’t believe it. Eugene’s birthday was in exactly _two days_ , and it would be his _first_ birthday celebration since he was sent away as a baby to save his life. She had to make it big and perfect! And definitely a day to remember.  
  
Most of all, she had to make sure that everyone important to Eugene was there. So off she strode to the Demanitus Chamber, wanting to deliver the news in-person.  
  
She was surprised to see Varian and Andrew coming up through the tunnels. “Oh! Are you all done?” She asked.  
  
“Andrew insisted I get some sunlight.” Varian sighed. “I’m about as done as I’m gonna be, I guess. It’s time for a break while I puzzle this last part out.”  
  
“Perfect!” Rapunzel clapped her hands together. “Do you want to help me prepare a surprise party?”  
  
“A surprise party?” They asked in unison.  
  
She smiled brightly. “There’s a birthday in two days!”  
  
“Whose?” Andrew asked.  
  
She giggled. “Eugene’s!”  
  
\--  
  
Preparations had to be done in secret, which was fun when everyone _but_ Eugene had to know. Rapunzel woke up the day of the party feeling giddy and realized it was _way_ too early to get up, Faith wasn’t even here to wake her up yet, so she dedicated the time to painting, singing as she painted.  
  
She was so behind on her painting, too, she’d hardly had time since coming home! She used her hair to lift herself up into the rafters and got to work with her paintbrush, Pascal holding her pallet helpfully.  
  
“ _I was always taught nobody’s got it all, and I never thought I had a shot at all. But, to my surprise, look at how lucky I’ve been! Oh-whoa-oh…_ ” She smiled up at her paintings, which chronicled her entire life since leaving the tower.  
  
“ _Freedom to explore, work that I love to do, friends that I adore; ‘specially, well, you-know-who,_ ” she smiled at a picture of Eugene adoringly, “ _I’m not keeping score,_ _still though, I pretty much win._ ” She swung off to another part of the room.  
  
“ _Yes, I get to be the girl who has everything._ ” She landed and smiled at a picture of Varian and Ruddiger, both so happy, then looked up a picture of Andrew and Juniper. “ _The world’s on a golden string, and somehow it’s mine._ ” She sighed happily at the two pictures, her new best friends who were once former enemies. She counted the Saporians becoming her allies as a _huge_ win, and knew she had Varian to thank for it.   
  
She turned her gaze to a mural of her mother and Aunt Willow with Rapunzel. “ _Just look at me, the girl who has everything,_ ” she turned her attention to a mural of Lance, Eugene, Kiera and Catalina, then smiled adoringly at one she did of Varian and Catalina cuddling, with Catalina in her werewolf form, “ _and I can tell everything is gonna be fine_. _”_  
  
She started to draw a mural of her and Eugene horse-riding, then moved on once that was done to something else. “ _Think of all I’ve done, life’s really tested me._ ” She painted picture after picture, pausing when she did one of Varian’s automaton attack. She had to admit, he was _very_ good at being intimidating despite how tiny he was at the time. And he’s certainly grown, he wasn’t looking up at her face anymore, they could see eye-to-eye now. The difference a year could bring. “ _Sometimes I have won, sometimes it’s bested me._ ” She pursed her lips as she finished painting the moment Cassandra stole the Moonstone, finishing with the single black streak in her blue hair framing the left side of her face. “ _Things got pretty dark. Now, though, the dawn’s coming through. Ooh-ooh-ooh._ ”  
  
She moved on to another part of the wall and kept painting. “ _Yes, now I’m safe and sound, back with my family._ ” She painted herself and her parents, then another mural of her father soaking wet and carrying a sleeping Varian, that beautiful moment where they made amends through shared struggles during the prank – King Trevor, last she heard, _still_ hadn’t fully repainted his castle. “ _When I look around, I see how things can be._ ” She did a painting of Varian, Eugene and Andrew. The three of them had gotten so close, it was just what Varian needed. She also did Eugene and his father, and the Brotherhood with Varian and Ruddiger. They hadn’t met him yet, but she just _knew_ they’d love him as much as King Edmund did. Well, his _father_ was a bit of an awkward story, but Adira and Hector would adore him, she knew. “ _Everywhere I turn, there’s so much more I can do._ ”   
  
She swung on her hair to another part of the wall, admiring her handiwork. “ _And I get to be the girl who has everything. The blessings this world can bring all falling in line.”_ She giggled at Pascal climbing onto a picture of his “King Pascal” look. She looked around at the pictures, then swung off again. “ _Somehow, that’s me, the girl who has everything._ ” She stopped in front of a picture of her being embraced by her parents, then looked around again at her finished handiwork. “ _Well, practically everything. I’m sure there’s more everything._ ” She smiled brightly. “ _For now, I’ve got everything…_ ” She lowered herself down to the floor. “ _And everything’s fiiiine!_ ”  
  
She set down on the floor and sighed happily, then looked over as she heard the door opening. “Good morning, Your Highness.” Faith greeted with a polite curtsey.  
  
She smiled. “Morning, Faith! It’s a big day today! Let’s make sure it’s one to remember!”  
  
\--  
  
“Knock-knock.”  
  
Cassandra opened the trapdoor from the tunnels under the city that led into Varian’s lab and looked around, clicking her tongue when she stepped out. There was no sign of the kid _or_ the scroll. There was no way that Rapunzel wouldn’t have him translate the scroll, though, not when it supposedly held the secrets to defeating the Moonstone. She dug around his desk a bit, looking for any sign of his notes on the graphtych that she’d seen before, then paused and walked over to a noticeably-empty space. “…His dad’s gone.”  
  
“Varian? Are you home?”  
  
She gasped and ducked into hiding, watching as Quirin came into the lab. “Oh…” He sighed. “I thought I heard someone in here. He must still be at the castle helping prepare for that party for Eugene with His Majesty…” He shook his head and left the lab, closing the door behind him. “And here I thought he’d _finally_ be taking a break after all that translation work…he overworks himself, honestly.”  
  
“A party for Eugene?” Cassandra slowly got up. “And they didn’t invite _me_? Well.” She giggled a bit and disappeared through the trapdoor again. “Let’s head for the Capital.”  
  
The girl followed behind her. “The scroll was not there?”  
  
“No, sounds like both the scroll _and_ the kid are in the Capital with the Princess.” Cassandra shrugged with a smile.  
  
“I see…” The girl nodded thoughtfully.  
  
\--  
  


“Okay, Fitzherbert.” Eugene said, looking at the ring he _still_ hadn’t been able to give to Rapunzel. “Is today the day?”  
  
“ _I’m gonna be the girl who has everything._ ” He heard Old Lady Crowley singing with a sour look on her face.   
  
He cleared his throat. “Oh, uh, hey! Mrs. Crowley!” He stepped out of the room. “You seem like a passionate soul well-versed in the delicate inner-workings of the human heart.”  
  
She looked back at him with a suspicious grunt. Eugene glanced to the side awkwardly. “Right. So, let me ask you. Do you think _now_ is the right time to propose?”  
  
She turned to him fully. “You’re not my type.”  
  
He sighed, his shoulders slumping. “The feeling’s mutual.”  
  
\--  
  
Preparations were in full swing, and Rapunzel giggled a bit as she watched Kiera and Catalina wrestle with Varian over some ribbon decorations.  
  
“I’m taller so, logically, I should put it up.” Varian said teasingly.  
  
“No, _logically_ , you should be a stepladder!” Catalina said, giggling as she climbed on him.  
  
“Ah, get off, Cat!” He squirmed as she tried to keep balanced.  
  
Kiera laughed and passed up the ribbons to her sister while trying to keep Varian from falling over.  
  
Rapunzel hummed happily and watched as Maximus, Pascal and Ruddiger put flowers on bigger flower decorations on the wall. Ruddiger popped one in his mouth and then spat it out, earning laughter from the other two and Rapunzel herself.  
  
“Hey, Raps!” Juniper walked up to her, grinning. “Things are looking amazing so far, you’ve got a _knack_ for design!”  
  
“Well, I’ve had twenty years to hone it.” Rapunzel smiled. “I’m so glad that you guys are all here to help out.”  
  
“For Eugene’s birthday? Why _wouldn’t_ we be?” Lance asked with a grin. “He’s important to _all_ of us!”  
  
Rapunzel heard a crash and looked over as Andrew went to help disentangle Varian and the girls from the ribbons they got caught in.  
  
“Though, _some_ of us seem to be goofing off more than helping.” Juniper said teasingly as she watched her brother help them all up before he put the ribbons up himself, Lance walking over to help while they talked.  
  
“It’s nice seeing them all so relaxed together.” Rapunzel smiled. “Varian’s been so busy, they haven’t seen him much since the fear rocks incident.”  
  
Juniper nodded. “For sure. He’s been _needing_ a break.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, then smiled brightly. “Everything is looking so _great_ , you guys! Oh, Eugene’s surprise birthday party is going to be _amazing_!”  
  
“ _What’s_ going to be amazing?” Eugene looked into the room.  
  
Rapunzel gasped and went to the door to block his view in, Juniper walking over to help her. “What? Nothing. Nothing is amazing.”  
  
“Except your hair, as usual.” Juniper grinned. Eugene ran his hand through his hair with a “yeah, I know” smile.  
  
Eugene glanced past them and grinned. “Heeey, are you planning a party?”  
  
Rapunzel started to reply, but Juniper cut in. “Yes, actually, it’s a party for Varian’s dad. His birthday was last week, and we were so busy that we didn’t properly celebrate it.”  
  
“Oh, really? I mean, yeah, Varian’s been so busy…wow. What can I do to help?” He asked.  
  
“Well, we need someone to keep him distracted until it’s time, why don’t you, Lance, Varian and Drew go take him to the Snuggly Duckling until I call?” She held up her Communication Mirror and smiled.  
  
Rapunzel smiled brightly. “Pleeease? You _know_ he’s going to be checking in, he did yesterday.”  
  
“Alright, alright.” Eugene chuckled.  
  
“Great.” Juniper walked off to tell Varian and the others the plan.  
  
“I don’t think I’ve ever _been_ to the…what was it called? The ducking?” Varian shrugged as Ruddiger came over and climbed onto his shoulders.  
  
“The Snuggly Duckling. You’re gonna _love_ it!” Eugene assured him. “Let’s head down to Old Corona and get your dad.”  
  
“Okay, have fun!” Rapunzel called after them as they all headed out. Then she closed the door with a sigh and looked at Juniper. “That was some quick thinking.”  
  
“As Princess of Saporia, I have to be ready to plan in an _instant_.” Juniper grinned. “Come on, let’s get back to work.”  
  
“Yeah.” Rapunzel nodded. “The sooner we finish, the better.”  
  
“What’s wrong, dear?” Queen Arianna walked over to her with King Frederic and King Edmund. “You look nervous.”  
  
“No, I’m…I just…I’m worried that someone will slip up and he’ll find out about the party being for _him_.”  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ve got Varian _and_ Andrew on the job, it’ll be fine even if Lance messes up.” Juniper assured her. “Which I don’t think he will, but just in case.”  
  
“And just to make sure I don’t accidentally say it out loud around him, I’ve been avoiding him up until now.” King Edmund reminded her. “He’ll be _so_ surprised.” He looked to the side. “Especially when he finds out he’s a year older than he claims to be. Now, high-five Frederic to show camaraderie.” He moved his hand and King Frederic held his up to meet it with a smile.  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “We should make sure we have the right amount of candles! And how is the cake going?”  
  
“Does anyone have a leash on the old drunk?” Juniper asked, looking around.  
  
“I think he’s at the Snuggly Duckling.” Kiera said as she and Catalina helped the animals put up decorations.  
  
“Right, better tell Andrew to make sure he doesn’t do anything sneaky.” Juniper pulled out her mirror.  
  
Rapunzel hummed a bit. “Hold off on that?” She took her hand. “I want to show you something.” She picked up Pascal from the floor and headed out with them.  
  
“Okay?” Juniper let her pull her along, putting the mirror away.  
  
\--  
  
They reached Rapunzel’s room and she checked the hall before closing the door and going to her bookshelf, giggling a bit. “Oh, it’s going to be _amazing_.”  
  
“With you, it always is.” Juniper assured her. Pascal squeaked his agreement.  
  
Rapunzel pushed aside books and reached in to pull out a little box, which she held onto as she climbed down to them. “ _This_ is going to be the biggest surprise of _all_ tonight.” She said with a pleased smile on her face.  
  
“Raps, is that a…?” Juniper asked.  
  
“Right before he blows out his candles, I am going to propose to Eugene.” Rapunzel said with a sly smile on her face and chuckled. “He will _never_ see it coming!” She sighed happily. “I don’t wear shoes but, if I did, I believe they would be on the other foot.”  
  
Juniper nodded, having heard of Eugene’s proposal attempts before. Rapunzel could really ramble during a sleepover.  
  
Rapunzel opened up the box to reveal a beautiful red and gold ring with the sun of Corona on it. “ _I’m gonna be the girl who has everything,_ ” she smiled lovingly at the ring, “ _soon as he wears this ring, and swears that he’s mine._ ” She handed the box to Juniper for them to admire and untied her hair to latch onto a rafter and climb up to a certain painting. “ _True, we don’t know what obstacles Fate may bring. But, why put off everything when we can share everything? ‘Cause once he’s my everything…_ ” She smiled up at a painting of Eugene and her embracing and painted rings on their fingers and chuckled. “ _Then, everything will be fiiine._ ”  
  
Juniper and Pascal smiled up at her as she leaned on the wall, looking at the painting adoringly as she stroked it with her hand gently.  
  
“He’s going to love it, Raps.” Juniper assured her. Pascal squeaked his agreement.  
  
\--  
  
Varian wasn’t sure what to think of the Snuggly Duckling. Yes, he knew all these ruffians now, but they were still…uh… _ruffians_. Varian ducked lower in his seat next to his father as the short drunk guy was tossed around the bar, with Eugene and Andrew cheering them on.  
  
“So… _why_ did they ask you to come?” Quirin asked him quietly.  
  
“Because the lie was that it’s _your_ birthday party, and it’d be weird for me not to.” Varian replied quietly, glancing at Eugene as he caught the drunk guy.  
  
“Oh-ho, nice! What do I win?” Eugene asked.  
  
“You win…a song!” One of the ruffians said before they got on the piano and started to bang out a drunken tune. Eugene laughed and walked over to give him critique and listen to him play.  
  
“At least he’s having fun.” Varian smiled a bit. “Makes coming here worth it.”  
  
“You’re still afraid of ruffians and thugs, after working with Saporians?” Quirin raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Saporians aren’t ruffians _or_ thugs. They’re just rebels. Or, they _were_. Ruffians and thugs might, uh, you know…hurt me…in various horrible ways.” He shifted on his stool awkwardly. “These guys seem okay, though. Not like…like the Stabbingtons.” He looked up at him. “Dad…when am I going to get proper Brotherhood training?”  
  
Quirin pursed his lips. “I didn’t intend to give you any.” He admitted. “You’re not a fighter, Varian. And I can’t _bear_ to see blood on your hands.” He took his gloved hands gently. “You’re too gentle.”  
  
“Dad, I…you _know_ what I’ve done.” Varian said, looking away.  
  
“And no one died from it. Despite your rage, you still didn’t kill anyone, or hurt anyone in any severe way.” Quirin sighed. “But, I…I _have_ killed, in the name of the Moonstone, of my King. I have blood on my hands I can’t wash off, and I don’t want that fate for you.” He pulled him close to him, earning a soft grunt in response as Varian’s face was crushed against his chest. “When I saw that Stabbington man pull you into the wheat, when I was _right there_ …I wanted to _kill_ him. I can’t bear to lose you, to see you in any form of harm. You’ve been through too much.”  
  
“Heh…careful, dad, you’re starting to sound kind of like King Frederic…” Varian said nervously.  
  
He slowly loosened his grip and looked down at him. “I get the feeling that, if I _did_ lock you in your room, you’d escape anyway. Even prison didn’t keep you in.” He stroked his cheek with a sad smile. “Varian, I…I don’t want you to be any more involved with the Moonstone than you have been. The translations are _done_ , right?”  
  
“Uhm, mostly.” Varian nodded. “I think this last one may be the one we need, but I can’t find it anywhere on the scroll.”  
  
“Once you do, _promise me_ that you will put this whole Moonstone business behind you and _stay away from the rocks_.” He pleaded.  
  
Varian sighed and pulled back. “I’m sorry, dad…but…promises…”  
  
Quirin sighed. “…You haven’t had a good track record with them.”  
  
“Keeping…or with promises to me being kept.” Varian nodded. “So, I can’t make any promises. They only lead to heartbreak when I end up breaking them, even without intending to.”  
  
He sighed and looked up at him. “But…I will _make an effort_ to avoid them. I can’t promise anything, but I’ll try to keep my dealings with… _Moon_ _Magic_ strictly to the scrolls.”  
  
Quirin smiled. “That’s all I ask.”  
  
“Hey, where’d Shorty go?” Someone asked.  
  
“I dunno.” Eugene replied. “Hey, kid, wanna replace him?” Varian yelped as he was picked up suddenly and tossed in the air by one of the thugs.  
  
Andrew used wind magic to safely bring him down and caught him in his arms. “Let’s _not_ throw Varian around, okay? I saw him go out the door.”  
  
“Shorty?” One of the men went after him.  
  
“You okay?” Eugene asked, walking over to Varian, trying not to laugh. He failed, of course.  
  
Varian looked up at him. “…Next time, _you_ get thrown.”  
  
“Oh-hooooooo.” Andrew grinned. “He’s plotting revenge now.”  
  
Eugene held up his hands. “Eheh…heh.”  
  
“Meh, I’ll get you back for it later.” Varian shrugged. “It’s a special day.”  
  
Eugene breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank goodness for special days!”  
  
Quirin cleared his throat. “As entertaining as this is, I should really head for the Capital now.”  
  
“Wait, already? But, we never get to hang out! This is my first time seeing you in weeks!” He put on the puppy-eyes and Quirin jerked back a bit. “Can’t we hang out a bit longer, dad?”  
  
Andrew walked over to him. “It’s not time yet, we still need to keep Eugene distracted.” He whispered, looking over at Eugene, who was watching Lance do tricks with plates and cups. “Why don’t we go out riding to Mount Saison?” He suggested louder.  
  
“That’s a pretty far trip…” Quirin sighed. “Alright.”  
  
“Yes!” Varian cheered.  
  
“Maybe with less, uh, distractions this time.” Quirin smiled a bit.  
  
They headed out and walked back to Old Corona to get horses. While passing through the woods, Varian stopped and looked at a tunnel with a distant expression.  
  
“Varian?” Eugene asked, walking over to him. He swallowed nervously; he knew this tunnel. He knew where it led, what ruins lay beyond here. Varian slowly walked inside and Quirin sighed before he went in after him. Andrew shrugged and followed them.  
  
Varian walked up to the ruins of the tower; his expression unreadable. “…She never mentioned her.”  
  
Quirin sighed. “Varian…”  
  
“No, I…I’m tired of bottling this up. She never mentioned her, never gave any indication she had any daughters, much less _two_!” Varian ran his hands through his hair. “All those years, most of my life, she was lying to us! Lying to _me_! All I’ve ever had growing up were lies! Even mom’s ‘death’ is a lie!”  
  
“We don’t know that.” Quirin glanced nervously at Eugene and Andrew. “Varian, please, calm down.” He spoke quieter.  
  
Varian turned to him. “Calm down? Cassandra sent those red rocks, _is on her way here_ , because Old Lady Gothel _lied_ to everyone!”  
  
“Varian!” Quirin walked over to him and moved his hand in front of his mouth, silencing him. Varian sighed and slumped his shoulders before silently nodding. Quirin sighed and moved his hand away before placing his hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re upset.” He said softly, so only Varian could hear. “But, Gothel lied to protect herself. Yes, she lied to everyone. You, me, Princess Rapunzel, everyone. She forced us to harbor her, making us think that she had nowhere to stay and was homeless and just wanted to help us out, help you with your alchemy. You could not have known she was lying to you the whole time.” He pulled him close. “And I hope you aren’t thinking that you are partly to blame for Cassandra’s not having her, because you’re not. The only one to blame is Gothel herself.”  
  
Varian wiped at his eyes. “Why did she leave the cottage?”  
  
“She probably left it and never went back because it could get her captured. Don’t you remember when the Royal Guard had you trapped in your own home as soon as you came back to it?” He asked quietly.  
  
Varian nodded. “I…I remember.” He could never forget.  
  
He pulled him close with a sigh. “I was shocked, too, Varian. I thought of her as a friend, of sorts, and trusted her with _you_. That’s… _why_ I’m so concerned about you spending so much time around adults, especially ones that have hurt you before. You’re still young, barely past a child, and I already got separated from you because I was foolish enough to not keep a better eye on you. Those weeks you were in the Chamber…” He sighed. “Well, I’m just glad to have you home.”  
  
Eugene cleared his throat. “While I’m sure your secret conversation is touching, with the hugging and the whispering and emotional looks, I kind of have bad memories here. I _died_ here, so…can we go?”  
  
“Died?” Andrew looked at him.  
  
“Oh, you haven’t heard that story yet?” Eugene laughed a bit. “Oh, it’s one to tell the grandkids, for sure!” He walked out, Andrew following him.  
  
Quirin wiped at Varian’s eyes, then walked him out of the grove. Varian looked back at the ruins and then looked forwards as he was led along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keeping Eugene distracted is a task, but it's one they're all up to!


	32. Party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Eugene's party!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

They ended up not going to Mount Saison. By the time they got to Old Corona, Ruddiger was feeling hungry and they ended up going apple picking while also trying to get Ruddiger to climb out of the tree he went up, with Eugene and Andrew eventually racing each other to the top while Varian impatiently called to his raccoon.  
  
Before they knew it, Andrew was getting the call to come back to the Capital, so off they went.  
  
“You know, I think you should be proud of me. All this time, I haven’t said _anything_ about the secret.” Eugene said as they walked to the throne room together.  
  
“What secret?” Quirin asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
“Oh, nothing, just a secret.” Eugene said, looking pleased with himself.  
  
Varian exchanged amused glances with Andrew and his father.  
  
“Well, looks like it’s time.” Andrew opened the door and they walked into the darkened throne room.  
  
As soon as Eugene stepped inside, flares came on to light up the room and Eugene saw Rapunzel standing in the middle of the room in front of a banner that read [HAPPY BIRTHDAY EUGENE FITZHERBERT!].  
  
“Surprise!” Everyone yelled in unison, while Eugene’s jaw dropped.  
  
“This...I…but, _you_ said…mine?” He looked at Varian, who nodded.  
  
“A clever trick to make sure you didn’t find out.” Varian grinned. “Being sneaky _is_ one of my best traits, but this was actually Rapunzel’s idea.”  
  
Eugene looked at Rapunzel. “For me?” She nodded with a smile. “A party? For _me_? Why? I mean, my birthday…”  
  
“Is actually today!” Rapunzel said, as King Edmund walked up to Eugene with a smile.  
  
“Dad…” Eugene breathed. “You…arranged this for me?”  
  
“I thought that it was the _least_ I could do, after I…had to send you away. I really missed you, and _all_ those birthdays with you.” He held out his arm and Eugene hugged him. “I’m just glad that I could be here for this one.”  
  
“Dad, this…this is amazing!” Eugene hugged him tighter, then pulled away. “I can’t believe it! A party, for me! To celebrate the day of my birth! And you all came together for this! I’m…I’m amazed! And _very_ surprised!”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “Come on, we had a cake made for you!”  
  
“A-A birthday cake?” He said in awe.  
  
“Wasn’t easy getting Attila and Lance back here to bake it.” Juniper chuckled. “Kai had to start it in the end. Too bad Varian was too busy, you should _try_ some of his cakes.” She winked at Varian, who blushed.  
  
Eugene walked over to look at the cake. “Wow, this…this is some intricate handiwork, wow. The castle is just…and here’s Rapunzel’s balcony…And…oh, wait…huh. Uhm, Blondie, is it just me, or is there one more candle here than there should be?”  
  
“Nope.” Rapunzel walked over to stand next to him. “Apparently, the orphanage not only didn’t have the right _date_ , but also the wrong _year_. Edmund told us that you’re turning twenty-six today.”  
  
“I…wow.” He breathed. “I had _no_ idea. I… _wow_.” He looked at his father. “The _things_ you learn when you meet your parents, huh, Blondie?”  
  
She smiled and nudged him. “Why don’t you make a wish?”  
  
He looked back at the cake. “I…wow. I’ve never had a birthday party before.” He smiled at her. “Thanks, Sunshine.” He smiled at the cake. “I can think of at least _one_ wish I’d like to have come true in the near future.”  
  
She smiled and moved her hand behind her to discreetly take the ring box out of her satchel, the other hand wrapped around his arm. Eugene took a deep breath to blow out the candles—

And then a gust of wind blew in and put them all out at once as the door opened.  
  
“Swell party. I guess _my_ invitation got lost in the mail?” They all looked over to see Cassandra leaning on the doorway, dressed in a fancy blue and white dress with more skin exposed than the last time they saw her. Her long hair was tied up in a high ponytail and there was no sign of her sword. A long lock of hair rested over the still-glowing Moonstone and she had a sly smile on her face. “Ah well, I made it here anyway.”  
  
  
  
“Cassandra?” Rapunzel breathed. Quirin moved Varian behind him and everyone watched her warily as she stepped into the throne room, her heels clicking on the floor.  
  
“Well, don’t look so _surprised_. After all, this is my _home_ , isn’t it?” She said as she walked past the shocked onlookers. “And when I found out that there was a party going on for my _dear_ friend Eugene, I just _had_ to come!” She stopped in front of him and he swallowed nervously, moving in front of Rapunzel.  
  
“Cassandra…” He said softly. “You…attacked the city.”  
  
“Is this about those darn red rocks?” She asked with a pouty tone. “I didn’t _mean_ to make them, I just got so _frustrated_ and _upset_ when I couldn’t control the black ones! In case you’re wondering, I couldn’t control the red ones, either. Spent _hours_ trying to make them go away, and then they all just suddenly…sank into the ground. _Poof_.” She made a “poof” motion with her hands. “I mean, what do you _want_ , an apology? Sorry for accidentally making you see your worst fears. I won’t do it again.” She batted her eyelashes.  
  
Eugene sighed. “…Did you…want some cake?”  
  
“Well, since you’re offering.” She grinned. “Sorry about blowing out your candles, by the way.”  
  
“No, it’s…it’s fine.” Eugene said stiffly. “I’m… _glad_ to have you here…really.”  
  
“Cassandra.” Rapunzel stepped out from behind him. “We thought…we thought you’d be lost to us _forever_.”  
  
“I was never _lost_ , Rapunzel. Just…struggling. I took so long coming back because I was trying to find out how to control the black rocks, but then I remembered, oh yeah…we spent a _year_ collecting a scroll that tells us how to do that! Now, I don’t know about _you_ , but I think I put enough work into that collection to earn a little bit of custody of the scroll.” She picked up the knife and started to cut a piece of cake for herself. “So, what do you say you let me _borrow_ it for a little bit, hm?” She put the piece on a plate and picked it up, as well as a fork.  
  
Rapunzel frowned. “Cassandra, you _don’t_ need to control the black rocks, _or_ the Moonstone. Just…give it back to King Edmund and you can—”  
  
“What, go back to my _proper place_ as the _pauper_ in our little tale?” Cassandra asked, turning away from her and cutting into the cake. “I’m just trying to make things _right_. You had a _lot_ of time with my mother, time I will never have because, oh, she’s _dead_. And what did _I_ get? I got abandoned in favor of you and raised as the daughter of the _Captain of the Guard_. Why is _that_ fair? Why couldn’t they just be happy with having _me_ for a daughter, a _princess_ , and not have to worry about thieves coming for my _magical hair_?” She turned to the King and Queen. “And once you got her back, you put me as her _babysitter_. Talk about adding insult to injury.”  
  
“You didn’t even _know_ before! And you don’t even know if it’s true or not!” Rapunzel insisted.  
  
Cassandra laughed, a sharp, shrill sound that echoed in the darkened throne room. “Oh, don’t be _stupid_ , Rapunzel! Looking at us side by side in that vision, I could _tell_ she was my mother! Don’t even lie, you saw it too! You saw the family resemblance to your _beloved kidnapper_ , and that’s why you clung so much to me, because you saw me as a newer, nicer, _better_ version of what you lost!”  
  
“No, that’s not it! I just wanted a _friend_!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
“A friend? Rapunzel, the power imbalance _alone_ made it so we couldn’t be friends! I had to tread carefully around you and not _upset_ you, or I’d be sent away! Everything _bad_ you did under my watch, _I_ got punished for! And everything I tried to do on my own, whether it’s join a tournament, or…” she looked at Andrew, who was watching with his sister and the other Saporians, “have a love life of my own…” she looked back at Rapunzel, “you just _had_ be involved. You _had_ to take a piece of it away from me, I could never be truly happy.” She held the plate with the cake on it tighter.  
  
“Cassandra, I…I didn’t mean to hurt you…” Rapunzel said softly.  
  
“So, why don’t we make things _even_ , hm? You have the Sundrop, I have the Moonstone, all I’m missing is the incantation for the black rocks, because right now I can’t control them and when I get upset, they tend to…well, you know what happens.” Her eyes flashed and people screamed as a black rock burst out of the throne room floor. “Get the picture?” She took a bite of her cake and hummed in pleasure. “This is a _very_ good cake.” She said after swallowing, like she hadn’t just terrorized everyone.  
  
“Cassandra… _please_ …” Rapunzel said as Cassandra continued to eat, “you _have_ to listen to reason. This…this _strange_ idea you have, this princess and pauper thing, that’s _not_ our story, and Gothel wasn’t _worth_ all of this!”  
  
She finished eating and then set the plate down on a random table. “You’ve seen what happens when I get upset while I can’t control the rocks. I’ll give you 24 hours to decide. If I don’t get control of the rocks _soon_ , well…we’ve _all_ seen what happens when the Moonstone gets… _impatient_.” She smirked at Quirin before she turned and walked out, shutting the door behind her.  
  
“…What did you _see_ in her?” Juniper asked, looking at Andrew.  
  
He sighed. “A book.”  
  
Varian stepped out from behind his father. “…I need to get back to work.” He said with a haunted expression, looking at the black rock stabbed through the middle of the throne room menacingly, a warning of what was to come if she didn’t get her way.  
  
\--  
  
The party continued and finished with a much more somber mood, the black rock stabbing right through where Rapunzel had stood before a horrifying reminder of what they had been preparing to face. As soon as it was over, Quirin took off with King Edmund to try to find Cassandra and Varian headed back to his lab, with Rapunzel, Eugene, Lance, Juniper and Andrew following. Maximus decided to escort them through the tunnels, just in case Cassandra was still around.  
  
“So, uh, did you actually _finish_ the translation?” Rapunzel asked nervously as they got to the Chamber.  
  
“Not quite. I translated what’s visible here on the scroll, but there’s supposed to be a fourth one, another Sun spell, but I can’t find it _anywhere_.” He picked up the scroll from his desk, looking at it nervously as they gathered around. “See, this… _this_ right here is the healing incantation. _This_ one, here, is the decay incantation she used to free my father. This third one…that’s the one Cassandra wants, it gives one control over the rocks. And the fourth one is…” He turned the scroll this way and that, then groaned. “I have _no_ idea where the fourth one is.”  
  
Eugene groaned. “Well, we have to find it, fast, because Cassandra is—”   
  
“Uh, guys?” Lance said, pointing at the top of the stairs.  
  
Cassandra, back in her battle armor with her hair loose, just smiled down at them. “Oh, don’t stop on _my_ account.”  
  
“Cassandra…” Varian clutched at the scroll anxiously.  
  
Rapunzel moved a hand in front of him protectively as the others drew their weapons and Maximus let out an aggressive whinny.  
  
“We can’t let her get the scroll, no matter what.” Rapunzel said firmly.  
  
“But, even if she _did_ , can she even _read_ it?” Varian wondered aloud. “I mean, it’s _useless_ without the translation key.”  
  
“Ohhh, _why’d_ you have to go and say that?” Eugene asked and Varian blushed at his mistake.  
  
“Then, I guess I need _two_ things.” Cassandra said, drawing her sword and coming down the stairs.  
  
“Varian, hide!” Andrew said firmly, and he nodded and ran to hide behind the desk as the others engaged Cassandra in battle.  
  
It was times like this that he wished he had his little dagger. Instead, all he had was his alchemy, and he started thinking of what would be best to use in this situation.  
  
Eugene ran at Cassandra and slammed his sword into her side. To his shock, his sword shattered and she wasn’t even fazed. “Her armor is made of black rocks!” He realized.  
  
“Well, not _just_ that. Moonrock comes in all sorts of colors.” Cassandra said with a gleeful tone before she slashed at him. “Too bad _you’re_ not wearing Moonrock armor!”  
  
“Agh!” Eugene stumbled back, holding his side. Lance quickly pulled him away from the battle to tend to his wounds.  
  
“Cassie!” Andrew yelled as he and Juniper ran forward, both of them preparing magic spells.  
  
“Oh, who’s _this_ , your new girlfriend?” Cassandra asked, mockingly.  
  
“My sister, actually.” Andrew said, then fired off a wind spell at her as Juniper used a fire spell. Cassandra shielded herself with her armored arms and then slashed at them. “Kch!”  
  
“It’s too bad you decided to fall for Little Miss Sunshine’s little mind-games, _lover_. We could’ve been _so great_ together! But I have _no room_ for a weak-minded King!” She kicked him and he let out a cry of pain as he fell down the stairs, knocking into Juniper as he went.  
  
“Andrew! Juniper!” Rapunzel let down her hair and ran forward. “Alright, Cass, now you’ve gone too far!”  
  
“Oh, _now_ I’ve gone too far? Really?” Cassandra laughed and slashed at Rapunzel, who blocked the blow with her hair. “You’re as pathetic as always.” She swung a leg and Rapunzel cried out as she fell on her side. “And predictable.” She jumped over her when Rapunzel started to get up and then kicked her again, earning a cry of pain.  
  
“Cassandra, _please_!” Rapunzel cried as she struggled to get up.  
  
“Hmph.” She walked away from her and towards the desk. “Oh, Varian?” She whistled.  
  
She heard something whizzing through the air and quickly jumped back to avoid a goo-bomb. “Really?” She chuckled, then turned and slashed at Maximus when he ran at her. “Don’t even try it, Max! You saw what I did to Eugene, I’ll do the _same_ to you!”  
  
Maximus stopped short and backed up.  
  
“Cassandra.”  
  
She looked over her shoulder and saw Varian splashing writings on the wall with, apparently, acid. “Do you know what that was?” He asked tauntingly. “That was the translation key. You’ll never be able to read the scroll without it! Because the only other translation in _earthly existence_ is locked safely away up here.” He pointed to his own head. “Boom!”  
  
She smirked. “Is that a fact?”  
  
“Oh, you _bet_ it…shoot. I shouldn’t have said that…” He stepped back from her nervously as she walked towards him.  
  
“Then, I guess _you’re_ coming with _me_.” She said, shifting her sword in her hand.  
  
“Heh, nice try…but I’m not going to let _any_ armored thug get ahold of me!” He grabbed his bag, threw down a gas bomb and fled for the stairs.  
  
“Varian!” She called after him. He didn’t stop to look back.  
  
\--  
  
“It’s okay, Ruddiger. Just like before. Running and hiding from a psycho with a sword. We've done this.” He said as he ran with the raccoon at his heels. He regretted leaving the scroll, but as long as she couldn’t read it, she couldn’t get the incantation. He pulled out his Communication Mirror as he ran. “Doctor Jared! Doctor Jared!”  
  
The mirror glowed as he got an answer. “Varian? What’s happened?”  
  
“Andrew and Juniper are hurt! Rapunzel and Eugene, too! We—Maximus!” He turned to see him running up to him. “They’re in the Demanitus Chamber! I’m sending Maximus to you, he’s the fastest horse in Corona!” He looked at Maximus. “Don’t worry about me! Go to Old Corona, get Doctor Jared! Hurry!”  
  
Maximus nodded and took off running. Varian stopped to catch his breath and noticed his mirror had gone dark. Then he heard the sound of rock scraping against rock and turned to see Cassandra walking up behind him.  
  
“You should’ve gotten on the horse.” She said with a smirk. “Done playing tag?”  
  
“Tag…I _hate_ that game.” Varian hissed. “What’d you do with Lance?”  
  
“Left him to mop up the blood with Pascal. Now, are you coming with me peacefully, or do I have to get _mean_?” Cassandra asked with a cold smile.  
  
‘Her armor is made of black rocks…’ He thought, taking off his backpack as he pulled out a vial. ‘Maybe…’ He gasped as he felt a blade at his neck, Cassandra having moved behind him while he was distracted.  
  
“Tsk tsk, Varian. Don’t you know that you should _never_ take your eye off your opponent during a fight?” She asked, holding the blade closer to his neck. “Give me the bag.”  
  
He reluctantly handed it over. She slung it over her shoulder, then moved the blade. Before he could question it, she slammed the hilt of her sword down on the back of his head, hard. He let out a choked cry as he fell to the ground.  
  
“It’s nothing personal, kid, you just happened to put yourself in my way.” She said, sheathing her sword and lifting him into her arms bridal-style. “Now, let’s see if Fidella is going to be a good girl and help me carry you away, hm?”  
  
Ruddiger ran up and tried to bite her, but only hurt himself on her armored leg. She looked down at him and smirked. “You have two options, pest. Run away and live to fight another day, or he’s going to be mourning you when he wakes up.” She set him down and drew her sword, pointing it at the raccoon. “Choose wisely.”  
  
Ruddiger climbed into Varian’s lap and glared up at her defiantly. She raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. “Or there’s a third option. Cooperate, and he won’t be hurt.”  
  
Ruddiger reluctantly climbed off him so she could lift Varian again and then followed her through the tunnels.  
  
She thought she saw a green figure following out of the corner of her eyes, but it was gone quickly. “Hm.” She shrugged and walked on.  
  
\--  
  
Fidella gave in easily, and a quick and mostly-harmless trip to the dungeons got her handcuffs for Varian and a chained collar for Ruddiger, which she swiftly put on them before she took her old friend out into the woods, forcing her to be a partner in this crime.  
  
She didn’t want to hurt Varian’s pet, if she could help it, so she dug around in his bag in search of some other form of persuasion. After all, it was highly unlikely Varian would just _give_ her the incantation, and the scroll she’d taken was, as he’d said, _useless_ without the key.  
  
She noticed a flash of blue out of the corner of her eye and sighed. “And where were _you_ earlier?”  
  
“I was keeping away a problem.” The girl replied. “There was something else in that Chamber with us.”  
  
Cassandra’s eyes widened. “That green thing I saw.”  
  
“Yes. He is a specter, like myself. I kept him away so you could take the scroll and the boy.” The girl looked at Varian. “On that note, why are we back in the woods? Is your plan to run away with the boy?”  
  
“I’m not running away. I just need a quiet place to figure out how to make him give me the incantation.”  
  
“Knocking him out was a mistake, you should just wake him and get it now.” She suggested.  
  
“No, he wasn’t going to come quietly.” She looked back at the raccoon anxiously stroking his master’s hair, checking for wounds probably. “I did what was necessary.”  
  
“Very well. But, once you have the incantation, what do you intend to do?” The girl asked. “Let him go?”  
  
“No, not an option, not as long as that fourth incantation they mentioned is still a possibility. Besides, he’s too _dangerous_ to have on _their_ side.” She scowled, thinking of when he turned her black rock into amber to destroy the red ones. She realized with a start that he was pulling out a vial of the same solution when she had him cornered in the tunnels. “No, I’m taking this piece off Rapunzel’s board. But, I can’t run forever.”  
  
“Well, then you are going to need somewhere to stay, somewhere you can properly protect what is rightfully yours. What _you_ need is…” The girl looked thoughtful.  
  
“A stronghold!” She smiled slyly. “And I know _just_ where to build one.”  
  
\--  
  
She forced Fidella to carry Varian and his pet through the tunnel, then went about locking them both up to a pillar in the ruins of the tower before she dug into his bag again. “Come on, there has to be something…oh?” She picked up a vial filled with something purple and turned it over to read [Truth Serum] on the applied label. “Now, why would you just be carrying this around? Did you have some intent for this, or did you just get bored?” She shrugged and walked over to Varian, removing the cork. “Well, easier for me. Bottoms up, kid.” She tilted his head back and tipped the contents into his open mouth, until not a single drop was left in the bottle. Then she left his side and went to sit on a log and watch him sleep.  
  
Ruddiger crawled over and pawed at Varian anxiously before curling up against his leg. She looked at the raccoon with a sigh. “Don’t look at me like that. I need the incantation, and if I _didn’t_ give him that potion, I would have to do something _drastic_. You know, like threatening your life. This is better.” She leaned back on the log, looking at Varian again. “He brought this on _himself_ by making himself the only translation key.”  
  
She frowned, leaning forward before standing up. “How long is he going to sleep? Ugh, don’t worry about it. Just be patient.”  
  
She heard voices and clenched her fists before focusing on the tunnel, which she covered up with black rocks before the voices could be close enough to see what she’d done.  
  
“Of course, now we’re _both_ stuck here.” She muttered, turning back to the unconscious teenager and his pet. “I can bring them up, but I can’t put them back down.” She walked back over to the ruins and started to pick through them for anything of her mother’s.  
  
“Mmn…”  
  
“Finally.” She walked over to him as he slowly woke up.  
  
“Mmnn…ngh…ow, my head…” Varian groaned, then looked up in alarm. “Huh? What? Wait, where are—why are we here?” He looked around at the ruins around them.  
  
“I _need_ that third incantation, Varian.” Cassandra said, looking down at him.  
  
He glared up at her, a fiery defiance in his eyes that rivaled the strength he used to fight the nightmares created by her red rocks. It’d be admirable, if it wasn’t in her way. But, at this moment, it was just kind of adorable. “ _Never_.” He said stubbornly.  
  
“Oh, come on.” She clicked her tongue. “You’re a logical kid, you can see reason. Without having full control, the black rocks will just run wild with my uncontrollable rage at being denied what’s rightfully mine.”  
  
“There is _nothing_ ‘logical’ about what you’re doing.” He said firmly.  
  
She sighed. “So, you’re going to be difficult after all. I didn’t want to have to resort to this. You see, while you were out,” she walked over to the log and picked up Varian’s bag, “I went through your little bag o’ tricks and found something that _might_ change your mind.” She dropped the bag and walked over to him, holding up an empty vial, the label turned towards him. “Recognize _this_ , little cookie?”  
  
“Hah, no. And d-did you just call me a—ngh!” He jerked a bit, cringing and trying to force something back. “Agh! Nnnngh, yes, it’s a truth serum of my own design! It compels the drinker to tell the truth and answer any question asked!” He blurted out, then paled. “Wait…but _I_ never _drank_ that.”  
  
“Lucky for _me_ , you sleep with your mouth open. It was laughably easy to get you to drink it.” Cassandra walked over and set down the vial, then picked up the scroll before going back to him. “So, _cookie_ ,” she taunted, “let me _ask_ you, what’s the third incantation?”  
  
He glared at her, even as he struggled to keep from telling her. She just stood back with a pleased smile, waiting for him to finally give in. And she _knew_ he would. He had, after all, made it _perfect_ in his moment of madness. _No one_ could resist it, not even _him_. And, with the black rocks blocking the tunnel, she had _all_ the time in the world.  
  
His glare finally faltered as he focused less on showing her how much he was upset with her and more on trying to fight the serum, a battle he was quickly and painfully losing. “Ngh…agh…I…agh…”  
  
She reached out and tilted his chin up, looking down at him. “What’s the third incantation?” She repeated.  
  
“No! I…I can’t…you can’t…make…mnnngh…” He pursed his lips, trying to fight it, even as he felt his body practically on fire from the effort. “Nnngh…”  
  
“You can’t fight it forever, cookie.” She cooed.  
  
“S-Stop…mmgh…” He was sweating now, his body trembling, and he finally slumped against the pillar he was chained to, barely aware of Ruddiger trying to soothe him with his little paws. “Crescent…high above.”  
  
Cassandra moved her hand from his chin and started to take notes on the scroll as he continued. “Evolving…as you go. Raise what lies beneath…and let the darkness grow.” He closed his eyes, looking ashamed of himself as he went on. “Bend it to my will…consume the sunlight’s glow. Rise into the sky…and let the darkness grow.”  
  
She turned away from him as he finished. “Let darkness…grow.”  
  
“Thank you~!” She said cheerfully, then walked away from him. “Let’s give this little baby a try, huh?” She held out her hand towards one of the black rocks piercing the ruins. “Let’s see…how did that tune go again?” She said to herself, then started to sing. “ _Crescent high above, evolving as you go. Raise what lies beneath and let the darkness grow._ ” To her utter delight, the black rocks around her all glowed and started to shift at her command. “ _Bend it to my will, consume the sunlight’s glow._ ” She raised her hands high as the rocks all merged together into a tall, thin tower of her design.  
  
“What is _that_?” Varian asked, watching her work.  
  
" _Rise into the sky and let the darkness grow. Let darkness grow._ ” She threw her hands out and the tower sent out a wave of Moon Energy as it was completed. Then she sighed happily and turned to him. “Home sweet home.”  
  
His brow furrowed and he tried to back up as she walked towards him, Ruddiger chittering nervously before he climbed up onto Varian’s shoulders. She walked over and put the scroll in his bag, then closed it up before she walked back over to him. “You’re too dangerous to leave in Rapunzel’s reach.” She snapped her fingers and he gasped as a black rock stabbed through his handcuffs, breaking them open. Another rock smashed through Ruddiger’s chain but left the collar on. “So, you’re going to be moving in with _me_ for a little while.” She forcibly put his backpack on his back.  
  
Varian glanced between her and the exit, which was no longer blocked by black rocks. He weighed his options, then bolted. She sighed and held out a hand and he yelped as a black rock wrapped around his ankle and slammed him to the ground on his face. “Nngh…”  
  
She walked over to him and clicked her tongue before she pulled him to his feet and forced his wrists together. “It’ll go a lot easier for _both_ of you if you cooperate.” She said, forming cuffs around his wrists made of black rocks. Then she removed the black rock binding his ankle and forced him to walk towards the tower. “Come on, cookie.”  
  
“Can you _please_ stop calling me that?” He asked. “It’s kind of creepy.”  
  
“It’s a reference to your truth serum cookies, don’t read into it too deeply.” She rolled her eyes. “But, if it bothers you _that_ much, I’ll stop. I’ll just call you ‘Key’, instead.”  
  
“I _have_ a _name_!” He insisted.  
  
“So do most things, but your name doesn’t matter to me as much as your mind, alchemist.” She created a doorway and forced him to walk on, closing it behind her.  
  
“Cass…” He glanced away, biting his lip. Whether it was to keep from crying or to keep from saying anything he didn’t want to, she didn’t know and didn’t care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so Cassandra's acting kind of mean. Surely there's still hope for her, though!


	33. Nothing Left

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Captured by Cassandra, Varian tries to get through to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney
> 
> ((A/N: I forgot to put in some insert art I made for the previous chapter, so go on back and check it out! :D))

Rapunzel and the others were quickly brought back to the castle for treatment. With the combined work of Jared, Kline and Clementine, they were all patched up and quickly healing before dawn broke the next morning.  
  
“It’s not the Sundrop Flower, so it’s not instant, but they should be feeling better soon.” Kline assured the concerned King and Queen of Corona. “Have you seen any sign of the boy yet?”  
  
A guard came running in. “Your Majesty, a guard in the dungeons reported that he was threatened by Cassandra last night and gave up the handcuffs and that collar we used, uh, w-when the kid was in prison.”  
  
“…She must have him and his raccoon, then.” King Frederic said grimly.  
  
“W-We have to…get him back. Before she…she hurts him.” Rapunzel said as she slowly pushed herself out of bed.  
  
“Absolutely not.” Kline pushed her back down gently. “You still have a few more hours of healing left. Sundrop or no, you are still weak. While you recover, we can organize a proper rescue party.”  
  
King Edmund ran into the room and knelt next to Eugene’s bed. “Horace, are you alright?”  
  
“Y-Yeah, I’ll be okay.” Eugene groaned, then looked past him. “Quirin…I’m sorry. She took him.”  
  
Quirin paled, then looked at King Edmund. “We must call the other two here.”  
  
King Edmund nodded. “Send Hamuel.”  
  
Hamuel flew from King Edmund’s shoulder to Quirin’s and then they left together. King Edmund sighed and looked back at Eugene, taking his hand gently. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to stop her…”  
  
“No, dad…if she took you from me…if it was _you_ in this bed instead of me…” He clutched at his hand tightly. “I just got you back, I’m finally knowing you after… _years_. I couldn’t _bear_ to lose you to her!”  
  
“And _I_ couldn’t bear to lose _you_.” He pulled Eugene into a tight hug.  
  
Rapunzel watched the scene with tears in her eyes, then gasped as her father held her just as tightly. “Dad…”  
  
“We _will_ get him back.” He said softly. “I won’t leave him to suffer from the black rocks again.”  
  
She nodded, holding him tightly. “We have to.”  
  
“Hey, uh, guys?” Lance stepped into the room. “There’s…a new addition to the Kingdom. Big…tall…black…kind of creepy to look at…”  
  
“What do you mean, Lance?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
He shifted a bit. “The search party found a big, black tower where Gothel’s tower one stood and there’s broken handcuffs and chains wrapped around a pillar outside of it.”  
  
Clementine sighed. “That would be where the boy is, then.”  
  
“Good.” Andrew groaned a bit as he got up. “We can heal fully while we plan how to get inside that thing.”  
  
\--  
  
“Did you… _have_ to make this place so _big_?” Varian asked as he was forced to climb a higher flight of stairs than he ever had. The spiral staircase was making him dizzy, and he was pretty sure it was her firm grip on his arm that kept him from tripping and falling on his face at this point.  
  
“Be quiet.” Cassandra said. Her other hand was occupied by a cage that housed Ruddiger, after he’d attempted to attack her face just before they started up these stairs.  
  
Cassandra ignored him and looked to the side a bit. “And then what?” She asked the air, and Varian looked at her with confusion before he cast his gaze down to the cuffs binding his gloved wrists tightly.  
  
“Cass—”  
  
“I said to be quiet.” She said sharply.  
  
“Who are you talking to?” He pressed on.  
  
She sighed and looked at him. “If you don’t be silent, I will be forced to _make_ you. Is that clear?”  
  
He bowed his head and continued the rest of the way up in silence. When they reached the top, she finally let go of his arm. He tried not to think of how she probably left a bruise, and he _really_ tried not to think of the _last_ time that particular arm got held in a crushing grip as he was forced to go where he didn’t want to by someone with ice-blue eyes.  
  
He sighed. ‘What was the point of guarding me from Nigel but letting Cassandra take me?’ He thought, then glanced up at Cassandra as she removed the cuffs around his wrists.  
  
“Look, kid, I _know_ that you aren’t to blame for any of this mess, and I don’t _really_ want to hurt you.” She tilted his chin up with two fingers, a creepily-intimate act that would’ve left him in a blushing puddle before the blizzard. “So, when Rapunzel comes to rescue you, I don’t want you doing anything…foolish.” She stroked his hair, her fingers running through the black and teal strands as he looked up at her own blue and black ones.  
  
His brow furrowed a bit as she stepped away and walked off to start decorating her new home with a throne and various other things. He remembered Eugene telling him not to seek her out, but…well, _she’d_ sought _him_ out, hadn’t she? Maybe…maybe he could get through to her.  
  
“Cassandra, you’re angry, I get it.” He said, walking after her. “Believe it, I _know_ what it’s like!” He clutched at his wrist nervously. “But, you’re making a mistake.”  
  
She stopped and looked over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow as he walked up to her. “ _The path of hate is a dangerous track. You take one step, and it’s hard to turn back._ ” He sang as she rolled her eyes and walked away from him. “ _It pulls you along and, though it seems wrong, it **feels** right.”  
  
_She experimented with different decoration designs as he went on, clearly not taking him seriously. “ _Don’t you see, this path you’re on leaves a permanent mark_.” He insisted, moving in front of her. “ _It feels good, at first, then it slowly turns dark. With each passing day, you’re further away from the light!_ ”  
  
She turned away from him and walked off to set Ruddiger’s cage down on a table near the throne. He went after her, continuing to try to get through to her. “ _Suddenly, you lose your way, and lose the thread!_ ” He moved in front of her again, placing a hand on Ruddiger’s cage. “ _Lose your cool and lose your head!_ ” He reached his hand for her and she easily deflected it before walking away again, pausing when she saw him reflected in the black rocks near her. “ _Every loss is harder to excuse!_ ”  
  
He walked up to her, a pleading look in his eyes. “ _Then, you’ll see, you’ll lose your faith and lose your soul, ‘til you lose **complete control** and realize there’s **nothing** left to lose! **Nothing** left to lose!_” He reached out to take her hand and she turned to him. “Cass, trust me, becoming the villain isn’t the answer!” He insisted.  
  
“Is _that_ what you think I am?” She snatched her hand away, then walked towards him with a cold smile, forcing him to step back. “ _The past I’m on is a path paved in black. I’m taking that road and I’m not looking back._ ” She snapped her fingers and a pillar rose under her, lifting her into the air to look down at him. “ _Each twist and each turn is straight where I’m yearning to go._ ” She sighed and placed her hand on her chest, over the Moonstone. “ _Yes, it’s true, my path is dark, but I see where it ends._ ” She held out a hand and Varian gasped and turned around as a statue of Rapunzel was formed from black rocks right behind him. “ _My rivals will fall as my power ascends._ ” She jumped down and landed behind him and he turned to her quickly. “ _Despise me? That’s fine. I’m taking what’s mine, even so._ ”  
  
“ _Not like **you**._” She reached up and roughly grabbed his hair before yanking him to the side, holding up her hand to create statues of Varian’s mistakes, starting with the amber and then him stealing the Sundrop Flower, then the automatons, and finally his giant automaton. “ _You lost your nerve,_ ” She clenched her fist and they all fell apart into pieces. “ _You lost the game!_ ” She roughly grabbed his chin, forcing him to look at her. “ _But you and I, we’re not the same!_ ” She shoved him back and he stumbled against the statue of Rapunzel. “ _I’m not lost, this fate was mine to choose!_ ”  
  
“ _So, I chose to lose my doubt and lose my chains._ ” She walked away a bit, kicking the pieces of Varian’s mistakes away before they reshaped into images of people she knew; the Captain, Eugene, even Stan, Pete, Maximus and random townsfolk. “ _Lose each weakness that remains!_ ” She clenched her fist and they all fell to pieces as well. Varian felt sick watching it. “ _Now that I have **nothing** left to lose! **Nothing** left to lose!_”  
  
She drew her sword and swung it at the statue of Rapunzel. Varian ran forward and threw his arms around her to stop her from getting close enough. “ _You have **so much** to hold onto!_” He insisted.  
  
“ _I only want…_ ” She kicked him away and he hit the ground with a cry of pain, “ _my rightful dues!_ ”  
  
He pushed himself up, wincing in pain. “ _Listen, please!_ ” He slowly stood up, moving between her and the statue again. “ _You’ve lost your grip and lost your mind!_ ”  
  
“ _Lose_?” Cassandra laughed. _  
  
“All’s not lost, don’t be so blind!_ ” He grabbed her arms desperately.  
  
“ _I’m **not** gonna lose._” She assured him.  
  
“ _Cut your losses, drop the I.O.U.s!_ ” He pleaded.  
  
She shook him off roughly and then used flat black rocks to knock him away from her again. “ _I refuse!_ ”  
  
He pushed himself up again, visibly limping. “ _Oh, choose!_ ” He pleaded.  
  
“ _I lose no tears and lose no sleep,_ ” She roughly grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to her. “ _What I want, I’ll take and keep!_ ” She shoved him away from her and he hit the ground on his side. “ _You can’t stop—"  
  
_ “ _You can stop—”_ He started at the same time.  
  
“ _The turning of the screws!_ ” They finished in unison as she moved her hands together, creating a cage around Varian as he slowly pushed himself up again.  
  
He looked up at her helplessly as she walked over to him. “You’ll stay in that cage until this is done. And, just in case you think of escaping?” She flicked her wrist and he gasped as the cage was sent out into open air.  
  
She heard Ruddiger’s angry chittering and smirked, walking over and cutting off the head of the Rapunzel statue before she sheathed her sword and walked over to sit on the throne as the statue sank into the floor. “ _Now, I have nothing left to lose._ ” She sat down and sighed with a cold smile, looking towards the castle in the distance past Varian’s cage.  
  
  
  
Varian sighed and curled up, wrapping his arms around himself.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel steeled herself as they walked into the tunnel. Varian had been the captive of a madwoman for too long, she hoped he was okay. They walked through the tunnel and looked up to see the tower was…indeed, very tall.  
  
“That’s new.” Lance said, pointing up. There was something sticking out from the tower.  
  
Rapunzel pulled binoculars out of her bag and used them to look up. “It’s Varian! She has him in a cage!”  
  
“Can you use wind magic to get up there and help him?” Eugene looked at the Saporians.  
  
“Even if we could use it to get all the way up there, that’s probably made of black rocks.” Andrew said grimly. “It might be better for us to wait out here, in case she decides to drop him out of spite.”  
  
Rapunzel gasped, looking horrified at the possibility.  
  
“Looks like the only way in is through that little doorway he’s connected to. We could probably get a balloon, but she might stab us out of the air.” Juniper said with a frown. “Even if we all put our magic together, we can’t lift up there.”  
  
“What about Ember?” Rapunzel asked her.  
  
“Same problem as the balloon with far more lethal results.” Juniper looked at Rapunzel. “Why don’t you see if she’ll let us in? She’s obviously expecting you.”  
  
Rapunzel looked up at the tower. “Cassandra!” She called. “Cassandra, open the door! Let us in, let us talk this out!”  
  
There was no reply, at first, but then they saw movement above. She used her binoculars and saw Cassandra leaning on Varian’s cage, looking down at them tauntingly. She frowned and lowered them. “Okay, _that’s_ just being petty.”  
  
“The rest of the Brotherhood aren’t here yet. Should we wait for them?” Eugene asked. “He doesn’t seem to be in… _too_ much danger right now.”  
  
“Cassandra!” Rapunzel called again. “Open the door!”  
  
Cassandra just laughed and went back in, leaving Varian alone. Rapunzel fumed. “Okay, we are getting up there one way or another. Anyone have any ideas?”  
  
“How about we do like a boosted jump kind of thing?” Cataline suggested. Kiera and Catalina had insisted on helping rescue Varian. “Like, we jump on wind magic stuff?”  
  
“What about a dragon?” Lance suggested.  
  
“They’d take too long to get here.” Juniper shook her head. “Lina’s idea has merit.”  
  
“I think we should have someone on standby to catch the jumpers just in case it fails.” Andrew suggested.  
  
“Oh! We could also turn this tree into a catapult!” Keira ran to it.  
  
“Let’s try the wind idea first.” Eugene suggested.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra watched from her perch by the doorway as they tried one thing after another, with hilarious, disastrous results. When the wind-jump didn’t work, they tried using the tree as a catapult. When that didn’t work, they attempted to climb with tree sap. “Oh, I could watch them do this all day.” She laughed as she watched them, making no move to open the door.  
  
“Let them in.” The girl came up to her.  
  
“What? Why, I’m having fun watching them.” Cassandra looked at her.  
  
“Defeating her isn’t enough. You must take away who she is and _force_ her to fight you.” The girl said slyly.  
  
“Yeah, okay. I guess I can’t fight her while she’s doing this. Still…” Cassandra smirked. “Just a bit longer shouldn’t hurt.”  
  
“Cassandra.” The girl sighed.  
  
“Alright, alright.” She twirled a finger and opened the door for them, then got up and walked over to check on Varian again. He was asleep now, whether from the chill or the fear or even just exhausted, she didn’t know. She told herself she didn’t care; that he was just a tool and that’s all he’d _ever_ been to her.  
  
“You’ve held back long enough.” The girl advised as they all gathered around the door to discuss their plan.  
  
Cassandra nodded and walked across the thin bridge between Varian’s cage and the tower and went inside. She heard angry chitters and rolled her eyes before she grabbed the cage and set it in her lap.  
  
“You’re not making it _any_ easier for him by chewing me out, you know.” She raised an eyebrow. “He should’ve kept his _mouth_ shut, he’s _lucky_ I didn’t do _worse_ to him for the lecture he decided to put me through. But, I have _no_ reason to keep _you_ alive, so _shut it_.” She slammed the cage down on the table again and sighed, leaning back in her throne.  
  
“Cassandra,” the girl leaned on the throne, “you seem upset.”  
  
“Just annoyed by the pest’s whining.” She rolled her eyes.  
  
“Cassandra, while we are waiting, I wonder if you might be willing to hear me out?” The girl asked.  
  
“What is it?” She looked at her.  
  
“As you know, I am only a specter. I have been trapped in another world, and the boy is the key to freeing me.” The girl explained. “You see, I need the powers of the sun and moon to clash, so that I will be set free and be of better use to you. As you know, I cannot do much as I am.” She moved her hand through the throne pointedly.  
  
“So?” Cassandra raised an eyebrow.  
  
“I need the boy to learn the fourth incantation for Rapunzel, and you must _force_ her to use it once he tells her.” She leaned on the throne. “Of course, Rapunzel and the boy aren’t to know of this plan, but I assure you, this is _all_ to lead to your complete and utter domination of Corona.”  
  
Cassandra looked thoughtful. “Alright. Help the boy learn the spell, I’ll play with the Princess in the meantime and make them get lost in the tower.” She winked. “Buy you _both_ time.”  
  
She smiled. “I _knew_ you’d agree.” She floated off and disappeared and Cassandra sighed, placing her hands on the throne and focusing.  
  
“Hey, wait…I just realized I don’t know your name yet.” Cassandra said, looking up at where she’d went. “Oh. Whatever. I’ll find out later, I guess.”  
  
Ruddiger let out a concerned chitter, then a low growl before he curled up and looked towards his boy.  
  
Cassandra closed her eyes and focused on watching Rapunzel through the rocks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mission failed, now he's in a cage.  
> What is the ghost girl planning?


	34. The Sun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Rapunzel heads up to fight Cassandra, Varian has a strange dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel didn’t know what made Cassandra change her mind and open the door, but it was opened for them now. “Right…Lance, Max and the girls, you stay together. Saporians, uhm, you stay out here in case of trouble on the outside, Eugene and I will be together, and…Andrew? If the Brotherhood shows up, tell them to come in after us?” She turned to him and he nodded. “Great. Let’s go in, then.”  
  
They headed inside and realized there were _way_ too many staircases to choose from. Rapunzel looked up anxiously and Eugene took her hand and gently squeezed it. “He’s gonna be okay, Sunshine.” He smiled. “We’ll find him and get him outta here.”  
  
“I hope he’s alright…” Rapunzel sighed, recalling her own wounds. “She’s gotten to be…so _cruel_ …”  
  
“I mean, she’s always been _mean_ , but…” Eugene sighed. “The Moonstone made her _worse_.”  
  
“Or whatever is _tricking_ her.” She clenched her fists.  
  
Eugene sighed and nodded. “Let’s just focus on finding Varian.”  
  
“Right.” She turned to him. “Well, it's _your_ birthday, Eugene, so _you_ get to choose the path we take!”  
  
Eugene sighed, then looked thoughtful before he moved to one staircase then another, checking them closely. He stopped when he saw dirt on the lowest step of one, and scuff marks indicating a resistance to go up. He stood up and looked at her. “Lance, you and the girls take Max and go that way.” He pointed to a different staircase. “Blondie, we’re going this way.”  
  
Maximus made an indignant sound and Lance spoke quietly to him. He sighed, resigned, and they headed off.  
  
“What was _that_ about?” Rapunzel asked as they started up the stairs.  
  
“Hopefully, those girls won’t see battle.” Eugene said quietly, looking at the stairs as they walked up them, hoping and praying he never saw any _blood_ on the way up.  
  
\--  
  
Varian groaned and slowly opened his eyes to find himself in…a bed? He sat up and squinted at the sunlight coming in the window. No, that wasn’t sunlight. Firelight. He got out of bed and went to look out the window and gasped.  
  
He was in a _burning town_! He ran out of the bedroom and looked around. “Hello? Is anyone here?”  
  
“Oh, good, you’re awake.”   
  
He yelped and turned to see a blue woman sitting at a table, calmly sipping tea. “Uh, hi, did you notice the town is on fire?”  
  
“It is a memory, nothing more.” She assured him, then set down her tea. Varian gasped as the fires went out and they were now in the middle of the woods, the woman still sitting at the table with her tea. “Is that less alarming, little Demanitus?”  
  
“Uh, my name is—”  
  
“Varian. I know.” She cut him off. “But, you are the sole remaining heir to Demanitus’ bloodline, as well as the only one who has been able to translate his code in centuries. Therefore, ‘little Demanitus’.”  
  
“I’d rather you just use my _name_. I’ve had enough of ‘little’ nicknames.” He scowled. “Who are you?”  
  
“A friend. Or, at least, I’d like to be.” She rose from her chair and the landscape changed again, now they were on a floating island surrounded by a purple sky.   
  
“Okay, where are we _now_?” He asked, looking around.  
  
“Focus not on the ‘where’, but on the ‘why’.” She walked over to him. “Do you still wish to save Cassandra?”  
  
“What? I-I mean, _of course_ I do.” He clutched at his chest. “I know, better than anyone, how hard it is to break free of the darkness. I’m still not… _completely_ free. Sometimes, I can feel it creeping in…”  
  
“Well, then you will be happy to know that there is a way to do so.” She smiled as she walked past him.  
  
“How?” He asked her.  
  
“The final incantation.” She smiled slyly and turned to him. “The Sundrop; you must use it against the Moonstone’s power.” She dipped over the edge and he ran over to see where she went, then gasped and turned to face her when she came up behind him again. “Were you worried about me?” She reached up and patted his cheek. “How sweet. But, you need not worry. This is only a dream.” She moved away from him.   
  
“R-Right. But, no, there _is_ no fourth incantation, I’ve looked all over the scroll.” He pulled it out. “It’s not there.”  
  
“Isn’t it?” She turned her head all the way around like an owl with a wide smile. “You just need to know _how_ to look.”  
  
She vanished and then he gasped as the scroll flew out of his hands and became as big as a house. “You need to _use_ the sun to _see_ the sun.”  
  
“Use the sun to see the—Wha—I don’t understand.” He said as the scroll dropped, leaving only the symbols for the Sun and Moon hovering in the air. He reached up for the sun, then gasped as they both started to fly around him at a fast pace.   
  
Green fire suddenly appeared around him and he gasped, then looked up as he felt hands on his shoulders, the woman looking down at him with a big smile. “ _Use_ the sun to _see_ the sun.” She repeated, then vanished as the fire got bigger. He backed up and then let out a terrified scream as he fell over the edge.  
  
He let out a sharp gasp as he sat up and then winced in pain, holding his side. “Ow…” He looked around. “It was just a dream…oh, why can’t _this_ be a dream…” He cringed and curled up with his head in his hands, realizing he was still in the cage, suspended in midair a hundred feet or more up.  
  
He stared out at the sky ahead of him with a terrified expression, then glanced at his backpack before he reached over and pulled out the Demanitus Scroll. “’Use the sun to see the sun’…”  
  
Unbeknownst to him, two figures watched him from a higher point. “Was it _necessary_ for her to _hurt_ him?” Lucas asked, frowning.  
  
“You’ve never been reluctant to see people in pain before.” The girl looked at him curiously.  
  
“I just don’t like him being hurt by anyone but _myself_. I’ve grown rather possessive of his screams of agony.” Lucas sighed.  
  
“You’ll have to learn to share again _sometime_. I know that it’s been just you and him for quite some time, but _our_ time is coming again. And very _soon_ , provided he deciphers my hint.” She shrugged.  
  
“And you couldn’t just _tell_ him what to do?” Lucas chuckled.  
  
“Where’s the fun in _that_?” She giggled. “I’m going in to let Cassandra know he’s gotten started. Keep an eye on him?”  
  
“My favorite pastime.” He assured her, and she floated off.  
  
\--  
  
Going through the tower was a little…heartbreaking, because Rapunzel was seeing pieces of her old home everywhere. No matter _why_ she was living there, she still grew up there and seeing how Cassandra had dragged the pieces of her lost home into the inside of the tower was…painful.   
  
Not to mention… “Getting in here was too easy.” She said as they walked over to another flight of stairs. “We could be walking into a trap.”  
  
Pascal squeaked at her from above, already blending into the rocks. “Good idea.” Rapunzel said as he turned visible climbed down to her. “Think you can get in there without being seen?” He nodded with a determined squeak. “Be careful, buddy.” She kissed his forehead, then set him down and watched him go with apprehension.  
  
\--  
  
“Are you arguing with the raccoon again?” The girl asked as she hovered over Cassandra.  
  
“He was yelling at me again and there was no one else to talk to. Hey, don’t give me that look! I didn’t even use my sword, he’ll be _fine_ , he’s probably survived worse at the hands of the Royal Guard!” Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
The raccoon paused before tilting its head from side to side before going back to chewing her out. “It’s almost like he actually understands me.” Cassandra shrugged.  
  
“Raccoons are _very_ intelligent creatures, Cassandra.” The girl said matter-of-factly. “I am quite sure he _does_ understand you.”  
  
“Well, unfortunately, I can’t speak raccoon. So—wait, what are you doing?” She leaned forward a bit. “…Are you using sign-language? I’m a bit _rusty_ on that…”  
  
“He taught his pet sign-language?” The girl asked with fascination.  
  
Cassandra suddenly got up and slipped into the floor. Ruddiger looked around and made a curious and concerned chattering before he sat down with a huff and then looked over at Varian.  
  
Cassandra, however, was focused on something else. Something, or rather _someone_ , had just come into the throne room. It was cute how he thought his camouflage would keep her from finding him. She let him wander, let him discover Ruddiger and then let him find Varian. And then she trapped him in a cage and rose out of the floor in front of him as he became visible.   
  
“Did you have fun exploring?” She smiled and picked up the cage before walking over and set it next to Ruddiger’s. “There, rant to _him_ for a little while.” She turned and looked over at the larger cage outside, where Varian was still struggling to read the scroll. “How much longer do you think he needs?”  
  
“I think he’s still figuring out _how_ to read it.” The girl sighed. “Sadly, it’s not something we can help with. And we can’t let him know you _want_ him to read it, anyway.”  
  
“Yeah, I know.” She sighed and walked over to sit in the throne again, watching the animals “talk”. “Don’t you go bad-mouthing me, pest, I see those eye movements.”  
  
Ruddiger chattered at her and she laughed mockingly before leaning back in her throne. “Rapunzel should be coming up to find you soon, Pascal. What do you say we give her a surprise?” She grinned.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel paced back and forth anxiously, then looked up the stairs. It’d been a half-hour since Pascal went up to scout and she hadn’t seen any sign of him. “This is taking too long. I’m going up there.” She started for the stairs.  
  
“Rapunzel, wait.” Eugene walked up to her. “What if you can’t convince her to give up and come back with us? What if the _only_ way out is to…?”  
  
“No matter _how_ cruel she’s become, this is _Cassandra_ , not some _monster_.” Rapunzel insisted. “She’ll come around.”  
  
“And if she _doesn’t_ …?” He took her hand. “Sunshine, what if she’s _seriously hurt Varian_?”  
  
“She wouldn’t do that.” Rapunzel glanced away, as if she doubted her own words. And really, she kind of did. Cassandra hadn’t shown any actual indication that she _wouldn’t_ hurt the boy, especially to get what she wanted from him. She hoped this tower wasn’t an indication of Varian being violently beaten for information and that something else had happened to make him give in. Hadn’t he been restocking his collection of potions?  
  
Eugene sighed. “Let’s just…let’s just be careful, okay?” He gently squeezed her hand. “She’s…changed.”  
  
She nodded grimly and they headed up the stairs together.  
  
\--  
  
Varian sighed as he looked over the scroll, his goggles over his face. “Agh, ’needs the sun to see the sun’ or _whatever_ that woman said, what does it even _mean_?!” He let out a growl of frustration and threw his goggles and the scroll away from him, then crossed his arms over his chest with a pout. _  
  
_“It’s not _like_ you to be so quick to give up, little bird.”  
  
He gasped and looked up to see a man with short, brown hair and ice-blue eyes leaning on the cage, Varian’s goggles dangling from his hand. “Lucas…”  
  
“You almost _lost_ these.” He hung the goggles on one of the “fingers” the cage was made up of. “Your cages keep getting smaller and smaller, you notice that?” He grinned at him with sharp, shark-like teeth.  
  
“Yeah, well, I don’t see _you_ helping.” Varian fumed.  
  
“Why do you think I’m _here_?” He knocked on the cage. “Obviously, I can’t break you out, but I _can_ offer you some support.”  
  
Varian frowned. “Why _would_ you help me?”  
  
“I have my reasons.” He hummed. “Now, this _hint_ of yours, how does it go again?”  
  
Varian sighed. “’Use the sun to see the sun’. Whatever _that_ means.”  
  
Lucas hummed. “ _Maybe_ you should look at the scroll again.”  
  
Varian looked over at it, then gasped, seeing the scroll resting against the bars of his cage, face-down with the goggles refracting the sun onto it. “What?” He moved closer, realizing he was seeing _writing_ on the back. “Sunlight.” He said, then looked towards the sun before he looked up at Lucas. “I was going about it _all wrong_! This…I needed to use _sunlight_! ‘Use the sun’—the _actual sun_ , _that’s_ what it means! The words are _hidden_ , and it needs a beam of _sunlight_ to—to reveal the incantation! DEMANITUS, YOU GENIUS!” He threw his hands out towards the scroll excitedly.  
  
“Knew you’d get it.” Lucas grinned as Varian grabbed his goggles to try to focus the beam on it to see the writing fully. “You’re just like him.” He murmured, too quietly for Varian to hear before he vanished, Varian too distracted to realize he’d done so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can Rapunzel rescue Varian and Ruddiger, or will they be lost forever?


	35. Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra and Varian battle for Varian's freedom, while the strange girl watches eagerly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel and Eugene made it up to the top of the stairs and stepped out into a throne room. There was no sign of Cassandra _or_ Pascal, and they didn’t even see her two captives. “Varian?” Rapunzel called, looking around. “Pascal? Ruddiger?” She clutched at her chest. “Cass?”  
  
“Blondie!” Eugene caught her attention and she looked over at him. “I found Varian.”  
  
They looked out a thin doorway to the cage where Varian was, apparently, no longer asleep. “Varian!” Rapunzel called to him, and he looked up briefly before looking back at what he was doing. “Don’t worry, Varian, we’re gonna get you out of there!”  
  
“Not now!” He looked back at her. “I-I found the last incantation! It was hidden with a photoreactive ink!” He looked back at what he was doing. “Hah, obvious, right?”  
  
“Yeah, _super_ obvious.” Eugene said, looking equal parts relieved and annoyed as he rolled his eyes.  
  
“The problem is that I need a concentrated beam of sunlight to see it.” Varian turned to them fully. “I mean, I _tried_ using my goggles, but they’re too scratched up.” He started to dig into his bag. “I need…I need something _else_ , like a _prism_ or a _glass_.”  
  
“Or…” Rapunzel reached into her satchel and pulled out the ring box. “A crystal?” She opened it to reveal the ring inside.  
  
Eugene’s eyes widened. “Is _that_ a…?”  
  
“Yeah.” She smiled shyly.  
  
“For me?” He placed his hand on his chest.  
  
She smiled and took his hand in hers. “You were going to ask me...?” He asked. “I mean, I was going to ask _you_.” He held her hands in his with a loving smile. “All this time, and you _still_ find ways to surprise me.”  
  
The tower suddenly shook and Eugene quickly grabbed the ring when it slipped out of his hand. “Uhh, she must know we’re here.” Rapunzel said nervously. “Okay, get the ring to Varian, _I’m_ gonna go find Pascal and Ruddiger.”  
  
Eugene grabbed her shoulder before she could go and gently turned her back to him, cupping her cheek in his hand. “Be careful.”  
  
She held his hand in both of hers, then left his side. He sighed and looked towards the cage before slowly stepping out of the doorway.  
  
\--  
  
“Pascal? Ruddiger?” Rapunzel looked around as she walked around the throne room. “Are you two in here?”  
  
She heard black rocks shifting and turned to see Cassandra coming out of the floor on a pillar with two cages in her hands. “Yeah, they’re here.” She set them both down and opened them up.   
  
Rapunzel gasped and knelt down as Pascal and Ruddiger dashed to her and caught them both in her arms. “I was so worried about you two!” She looked up at Cassandra as she created black rock stairs to walk down to her.  
  
“I’ve been waiting for you, Rapunzel.” She smiled coldly. “We _both_ have been. Varian’s been out in the cold for quite a few hours waiting for you to show up.”  
  
“Cassandra.” Rapunzel stood up. “Let Varian go.”  
  
“Without a fight?” She laughed. “Not a chance. He’s too dangerous to _me_ to let him be an asset to _you_.”  
  
“Varian is _not_ just an ‘asset’!” Rapunzel frowned. “He’s our friend! Don’t you remember?”  
  
“I remember a kid with a puppy-crush that was all-too-eager to do anything people asked of him, just so he’d get a little bit of praise to make up for the fact that his father was emotionally abusive.” Cassandra shrugged. “But, no, I was never his friend. We barely knew each other before things went downhill, and he didn’t exactly leave a good impression on anyone.”  
  
Rapunzel winced. “You didn’t tell _him_ any of that, did you?”  
  
“No.” She smirked. “ _I_ wasn’t the one force-fed truth serum, after all.”  
  
Rapunzel clenched her fists. “You’re just saying all that to try to push us away, but you _know_ that you’re not _like that_!”  
  
Cassandra looked to the side and whispered something Rapunzel couldn’t hear before she looked back at her. “You don’t know anything _about_ me, Rapunzel.” She summoned black rocks and Rapunzel gasped and moved to avoid them.  
  
“Cass, I don’t want to fight you!” She cried.  
  
“Well, then I guess Varian’s staying with me.” Cassandra smirked. “Because _none_ of you are leaving this tower unless you beat me.”  
  
“I didn’t intend on leaving until we’d sorted this out, anyway!” Rapunzel said firmly.  
  
“Better get comfortable, then!” She created a chair out of black rocks and slid it at Rapunzel at a fast pace. Rapunzel quickly ran out of the way and ended up being hit by a table. “What’s wrong, Raps?” She asked tauntingly.  
  
Rapunzel clenched her fists and pushed herself up, glaring at her. “ _You_ don’t get to call me ‘Raps’ anymore! That’s someone _else’s_ privilege!”  
  
“Aww, replaced me already?” Cassandra placed her hand on her chest. “I’m so _hurt_. Who is it?”  
  
“Juniper, Andrew’s sister.” Rapunzel untied her hair. “Cass, I _really_ don’t want to hurt you.”  
  
“That’s funny.” Cassandra chuckled. “That’s what I told Varian, too.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Rapunzel asked, her eyes widening.  
  
“Let’s just say that, for a kid that’s supposedly smart, he _really_ has problems with knowing when to keep his mouth shut. The little brat tried to talk me out of being ‘the bad guy’, so I smacked him around a little.” She grinned. “He was _limping_ by the end of it.”  
  
“You _hurt_ him?!” Rapunzel glared at her.  
  
“Oh yeah.” Cassandra grinned. “And I loved every moment.”  
  
Rapunzel bowed her head, her body trembling, and then she swung her hair out like a whip. Cassandra jumped away and drew her sword, laughing. “Finally, you’re taking me seriously! And all it took was threatening the ones you love the most!”  
  
“Shut up!” She swung her hair again. “How could you hurt him?! He’s only a kid! He didn’t deserve to be hurt by you!”  
  
“Well, then he should’ve shut up!” Cassandra laughed, summoning black rocks to charge at Rapunzel.  
  
Rapunzel jumped over them and then swung her hair at Cassandra again. “Cassandra, I _want_ to believe that you’re still _good_ inside!”  
  
“I’m not ‘bad’, Rapunzel, I’m just following my Destiny. And if my Destiny is to take your Kingdom from you and leave you a bleeding husk on the ground, so be it!” She slashed at her and Rapunzel used her hair to block it before she cried out in pain as Cassandra slammed black rocks into her back. “But, I’d _really_ rather not kill you. You’d look so _pretty_ in a Lady-in-Waiting dress.”  
  
Rapunzel groaned in pain, then looked over as Ruddiger charged at the woman. “Ruddiger, stop!”  
  
Ruddiger changed into his monstrous form and slammed into Cassandra, knocking her away from the sheer momentum.  
  
“Oh, yeah. You wouldn’t like him when he’s angry.” Rapunzel said as she got up.  
  
“So, you were hiding this from me?” Cassandra smirked. “But, you might want to stand down, or I’ll have to tell Varian his beloved pet is _dead_.” She created a black rock cage around the beast and he stilled. “Good boy.” She smirked and turned back to Rapunzel. “You wouldn’t like _me_ when I’m angry, either.”  
  
Rapunzel gripped her hair tightly.  
  
\--  
  
Eugene slowly made his way across the narrow bridge to Varian. He stumbled and fell on his front with a grunt of pain.  
  
“Eugene?” Varian asked, concerned.  
  
He looked up at him. “I’m…I’m okay, kid. Almost there.” He pushed himself to his feet. “Man…I _really_ hate birthdays.”  
  
“Hurry, the sun is setting!” Varian called, looking out at it.  
  
“I’m going as fast as I can, kid! Without dying.” Eugene said, then gasped sharply as he was suddenly being lifted into the air and then set down next to the cage. “Uhh…”  
  
“Eugene!” Varian prompted, and Eugene handed the ring over.  
  
“Thanks. You too, Lucas.” Varian said as he got to work.  
  
“Oh, is _that_ why I just _literally floated_?” Eugene looked around as he clung to the cage.  
  
“It’s working.” Varian said with relief.  
  
“Way to go, kid!” Eugene cheered.  
  
Suddenly, the parchment caught fire. Varian panicked and grabbed his notepad and charcoal and wrote it down while Eugene tried to blow it out.  
  
“I got it!” He assured Eugene.  
  
“I certainly hope so, because that thing was _not_ easy to come by.” Eugene said as Varian slumped against the bars of his cage with relief.  
  
“Now to memorize it, just in case.” Varian said, looking at the words and muttering to himself.  
  
Eugene sighed. “Do you think you might be able to squeeze through these bars?” He asked.  
  
“Nuh-uh, too tight.” He shook his head.  
  
“Darn.” Eugene frowned.  
  
“Honestly, I’m glad they are, because otherwise I’d have fallen through to my death.” Varian admitted.  
  
“Oh, yeah, right.” Eugene nodded. “So…I guess we just…wait?”  
  
Varian nodded, going back to his memorizing.  
  
\--  
  
“D-Did you just---did you just try to drop me out of the building?!” Rapunzel pulled herself back up and stepped away from the hole she got dropped through. “You are _not_ getting rid of me that easy!”  
  
“Awww, and here I thought I was done with you for good.” Cassandra did that mocking pout she’d been taking to doing lately. “Guess I’ll have to keep trying!” She grinned.  
  
“Cassandra.” The girl appeared beside her. “The boy has finished the translation. Let’s bring him back in.” Cassandra nodded subtly.  
  
“Cass, please! This is _not_ who you _are_!” Rapunzel insisted. “It’s the Moonstone that’s making you this way! Just take it out and everything will be fine again!”  
  
“You mean everything will be fine _for you_.” Cassandra smirked coldly. “Sorry, Princess, but I’m not going to fall into your lap as easily as Varian and the Saporians have done. I am _done_ being at the beck and call of a spoiled little brat that doesn’t know anything about the world!”  
  
“Cass, I _refuse_ to keep fighting.” Rapunzel said firmly. “Just let Varian go and we can…we can call it a day. You’re being irrational.”  
  
“Aw, you don’t wanna fight anymore?” Cassandra held out a hand. “Well, let’s see if I can change your tune.” She clenched her fist, then pulled her arm back. Rapunzel looked over as Varian’s cage, with Eugene clinging to it, was dragged back inside and the walls all closed around them.  
  
The fearful expression Varian had when he looked at Cassandra hurt Rapunzel’s heart, and the way he clung to Eugene’s hand for dear life made her turn back to the other woman with a glare.  
  
“Welcome back, boys.” Cassandra said cheerfully. “Did you have a nice time hanging out there?”  
  
“Ah, she’s got the _jokes_ now.” Eugene rolled his eyes.  
  
“Let me help you out.” Cassandra said lightly, sending rocks to wrap around Eugene’s body tightly.  
  
“Eugene!” Rapunzel ran over to him. “Cassandra, let them go!” She looked over at her.  
  
“You say you don’t wanna fight? Fine. I’ll just keep both of them here in the tower with me.” Cassandra said casually. “After all, I _did_ say I’d be taking _everything_ of yours, didn’t I?”  
  
Rapunzel clenched her fists. “Cassandra…”  
  
“Rapunzel.” Varian said quietly, and she glanced back at him, moving her hand to take a paper he was handing her.   
  
“Break her spirit!” The ghostly girl said excitedly to Cassandra.  
  
“I just realized that I haven’t given you _my_ birthday present yet, Eugene.” Cassandra clenched her fists and Eugene cried out in pain as the rocks tightened around him.  
  
“Stop it!” Rapunzel turned to her furiously. “Leave him alone!”  
  
“Then fight me!” Cassandra declared.  
  
Rapunzel slipped the paper into her bag and lashed out with her hair, the two starting to fight again while the two guys watched helplessly.  
  
Suddenly, Rapunzel was slammed into the wall and pinned in place by black rocks. She cried out in pain, then scowled.  
  
“Giving up?” Cassandra asked as she walked towards her.  
  
“Rapunzel!” Varian called, catching both their attentions. “It’s the final incantation! You have to read it!”  
  
“Final incantation?” Cassandra turned towards Varian. “ _What_ ‘final incantation’?” She walked towards him. “What’s the final incantation, Varian?”  
  
“Leave him alone!” Rapunzel cried. “Pascal.” She looked at him as he came out of her hair and he went to get the paper from her satchel for her to read it.  
  
“N-No!” Varian struggled to avoid telling her, the truth serum still in his system. “I won’t…nngh…”  
  
“Tell me!” Cassandra ordered, making black rocks stab out of the ground near him, the cage shrinking a bit around him.  
  
“Ngh!” He struggled a bit longer, then bowed his head. “‘Power of the sun…gift me…with your light…’”  
  
“ _Power of the sun, gift me with your light,_ ” they heard Rapunzel singing, and looked over at her as she started to glow, “ _shine into the dark, restore our fading sight._ ”  
  
“Finally.” Cassandra muttered.  
  
“ _Rise into the dawn_ ,” Rapunzel started to glow brighter and the black rocks pinning her shattered as she lifted into the air, “ _blazing star so bright._ ” Her magic started to come out in waves as her hair lifted up around her, Rapunzel’s eyes glowing golden-yellow as an unsettling wind blew through them all from her now-glowing body. “ _Burn away the strife, let my hope ignite. Let hope ignite._ ”  
  
Cassandra grinned and turned to her. “Well, look who decided to get serious!” She sent black rocks at her.  
  
“Keep it up, Cassandra. Soon, I will be free and you will be one step closer to your Destiny.” The girl told her as Rapunzel destroyed the rocks Cassandra sent at her.  
  
“Let. Them. GO!” Rapunzel yelled.  
  
“Is this the best you can do?” Cassandra asked as she sent wave after wave of black rocks at the blonde.  
  
The girl watched with glee as the two powers combined started to open a portal above the battle.   
  
“I said, let them go!” Rapunzel repeated.  
  
“I don’t follow your _orders_ anymore, Princess!” Cassandra grinned.  
  
The black rocks were being blown away easily by the new spell, and the air above it was distorting. Cassandra heard the girl laughing and glanced over to see her rising up into the portal that was opening. She focused her attention on Rapunzel, sending wave after wave, but the Sun’s magic was too powerful and she was struggling to stay on her feet.  
  
Rapunzel didn’t notice the portal, focused entirely on Cassandra. “Let. Them. GO!” She yelled again. Cassandra just smirked in reply and sent more rocks.  
  
She felt her power reaching its limit and pulled back before she could go too far, using more black rocks to give her an escape route. Rapunzel was still on a rampage, her magic was utterly destroying the black rocks encasing everyone, and she saw Varian barely hanging on after his cage was destroyed before he and Eugene were thrown off, followed by Ruddiger, who had shrunk down, and Pascal.  
  
She ducked around the Sun Princess and went to see what became of the falling group. To her surprise, a gust of wind came up and wrapped around them all, safely lowering them down to the ground. She then looked up at where Rapunzel was still on a rampage and left the tower for the time being.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel let out a weak groan as she fell to her knees, completely spent. She was barely aware of anything and she looked over to see Eugene running up the stairs to join her. “Eugene…”  
  
“Hey.” He ran to her side and pulled her close. “You did it, the kid’s safe. Everyone’s waiting downstairs. And I know this is an emotional moment for you but, I just gotta say, that was _awesome.”_  
  
She clung to him. “What about Cassandra?”  
  
He sighed. “Not sure. Haven’t seen her.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and looked at Eugene. “Let’s…let’s get back home.”  
  
He lifted her into his arms and they headed back down. When they got to the bottom, they found Varian being held in Andrew’s arms as he knelt on the ground with him, holding him like he was the most important thing in the world.  
  
“How you doing kid?” Eugene asked as they walked up to him.  
  
“Agh…nn…I haven’t done a full, uh, inventory of my wounds yet, I’ll get back to you.” He looked around. “Where…Where’d Lucas go?”  
  
“I have no idea.” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“I’m sure he’s fine.” Rapunzel said, then groaned a bit.  
  
“Well, as long as everything worked out.” Lance smiled.  
  
“Let’s take you home.” Eugene walked over and helped Rapunzel onto Maximus. “Andrew, let’s take Varian to the castle for the night.”  
  
Andrew nodded, standing up with Varian in his arms. “Let’s get you patched up, kid.”  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra waited until they had left, then went to go back into the tower, fixing it up as she went. She stepped into the damaged throne room and looked up at the portal, pausing when she saw someone else already there waiting with her. “Who are you?” She asked suspiciously, approaching the brown-haired man dressed in fancy clothes.  
  
He smiled at her with ice-blue eyes that matched her own. “I’m Lucas.”  
  
The portal burst open and she shielded her eyes from the purple light. When it was gone, two figures stood before her, both she recognized.  
  
“Thank you, Cassandra, for helping us get out of that _dreadful_ other world.” The girl said with a sly smile.  
  
Beside her stood Sugracha the Eternal, and Cassandra’s eyes widened as the pieces started to click into place.  
  
“It’s good to see you back in this world, My Lady.” Lucas bowed on one knee.  
  
“It’s good to be back.” The girl said with a grin.  
  
“You’re…the demon Zhan Tiri.” Cassandra breathed.  
  
The demon just smiled serenely. “Indeed. And, now that I am free, we can begin to make Corona _completely yours_ , as is your right.” She walked over to Cassandra and held out a hand. “Are we still in business?”  
  
Cassandra blinked, then grinned. “Let’s bring Corona to its _knees_.” She took her hand and shook it.  
  
\--  
  
Varian sighed, looking despondent in his bed. He’d been quickly taken to the medical room and treated and the doctors were happy to report that they wouldn’t be needing any of the Saporians’ “special brews” for this one. Despite her rough treatment, he wasn’t in any serious pain. The limping was from a sprained ankle. They did give him something for the pain and advised him to not do anything to strain his bruised ribs and asked him to stay in bed for the next few days.  
  
“Varian?” Rapunzel sat by his bed. “…Are you okay?”  
  
“I shouldn’t have tried.” He said faintly. “She didn’t listen, she…she _hurt_ me for trying. I shouldn’t have tried to talk her down, to…try to relate to a _madwoman_. This isn’t just _rage_ , this is… _she’s completely lost it_. I don’t…I couldn’t see my friend _anywhere_ in there.”  
  
Rapunzel pursed her lips, thinking of the cold words her old Lady-in-Waiting, bodyguard and friend had said about how she viewed Varian. She knew it had to be a lie, because…because she wasn’t a _monster_ , she…  
  
Ruddiger hopped up onto Varian’s bed and offered him an apple before nuzzling him. Varian sighed and shook his head before looking out the window towards the tower in the distance.   
  
“She said I was…too _dangerous_ to leave in your reach.” He clutched at his blanket. “That she wanted to keep me from you…”  
  
Rapunzel reached out and cupped his cheek gently. “She meant to _her_ , Varian. You’re too dangerous _to her_ to have on my side, _that’s_ what she was saying. Because she recognizes the threat you pose to her with your brilliant mind and alchemy skills.”  
  
He smiled a bit. “O-Oh.”  
  
“She would _never_ keep you from me for my own safety.” She smiled sadly. “Not anymore. It’s…all about what’s good or bad for _her_.”  
  
He sighed and leaned back into his pillow. “She was talking to someone.”  
  
“Huh?” Rapunzel blinked.  
  
“I couldn’t see them, but she was talking to someone. And has anyone seen Lucas since the battle?” He looked at her.  
  
“I never saw him at _all_.” She shrugged.  
  
Varian looked towards the window again. “I have a bad feeling…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Varian is saved, but at what cost?


	36. Spire I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An urgent call for help brings Rapunzel back to The Spire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Cassandra had to admit, she didn’t _ever_ expect to be on the same side as _Sugracha_. And yet, here she was sitting at a meal table with Sugracha and Zhan Tiri. Zhan Tiri’s man, Lucas, had left in search of “the others”, and she was tempted to ask just how _many_ of them had, uh, _escaped_ that night.   
  
“Now that you have the full power of the Moonstone, you must make sure that you have _all_ that that entails.” Zhan Tiri said as she cut into cake that Sugracha had brought in for them, among other food items. Cassandra didn’t question _how_ , exactly, the woman had obtained the items.  
  
“What do you mean?” Cassandra asked as she set down her fork.  
  
“Long ago, the Moonstone was struck with the fear that, once it finally gained a human body, the Brotherhood would turn against it. As its protectors, they were also the biggest threat to its wellbeing, after all. So, it had something created that would allow it to gain control of the Brotherhood if that tragic time ever came. It is called the Mindtrap Talisman, and it is kept in the Spire’s Vault for safekeeping.” Zhan Tiri explained. “I believe, considering how things have been, you will be needing it. You can also use it as leverage to force Varian to stand down and not fight you.”  
  
“Where does the alchemist boy come into it?” Sugracha asked curiously.  
  
“His father is in the Brotherhood.” Cassandra said, remembering Adira’s words at the Great Tree. “But, it might have opposite results if we openly mess with him. You weren’t there when he, uh, well…” She chuckled and held out a hand, creating a statue of Varian with his automatons. “He was impressive.” She sighed and lowered it into the ground with a dejected sigh. “He and Andrew could’ve been such _great allies_ …”  
  
“Let us not dwell on the lost possibilities and focus instead on what we will gain in the future.” Zhan Tiri said calmly, sipping at her tea. “The Mindtrap Talisman will take the Brotherhood completely off of Rapunzel’s board and, even if you do not make them fight _for_ you, they will not fight _against_ you.”  
  
“Oh, don’t worry.” Cassandra assured her. “I’ll make use of them.”  
  
\--  
  
“Now, then, Calliope, show me what you have learned.”  
  
Calliope drew herself up proudly as she prepared to show off to her teacher. “Well, here are the masks of Alastros.” She went to another artifact. “This, of course, is a Snafarian sarcophagus, and here—” She stopped short with a gasp, looking at an empty rack. “Hm. That’s strange. The Shapeshifting Cloak of Retudnus is missing.”  
  
“Never mind that, child.” Her teacher said, and she felt a twinge of suspicion at his words. The cloak was missing, and he was dismissing that fact? She looked over at him as he went on. “Tell me, where is the Mindtrap?”  
  
She scoffed. “You mean, the talisman that can control the minds of any who’ve sworn loyalty to the moonstone?” She asked, eyeing him suspiciously. “Or, like, the Brotherhood?” She pointed off to the side in a vague way.  
  
“Yes. Now, where is it?” He asked.  
  
Wow. Could you be _any_ more obviously suspicious? “Why, locked away in an enchanted box that can only be opened with a key _I_ possess.” She assured him with another little scoff.  
  
“Then, I’ll need that key,” He grabbed his face and then the Cloak of Retudnus was pulled off by Cassandra, sporting a new look, “now.”  
  
“Ah, _there’s_ the cloak!” Calliope said cheerfully.  
  
“The key.” Cassandra raised an eyebrow.  
  
Calliope glanced away, then ran for it, knocking over the empty rack. She ran for another room and closed the door once she and her Kurlock were inside. “Guard the door, buddy.” She said after using a decorative sword to secure the door. Then she ran to a shelf.   
  
He snarled in reply, so young but so ready to protect.  
  
“Where is it? Where is it?” Calliope said anxiously as she checked bottles. “No, not that one…Oh. Aha!” She grabbed one and ran to a desk to start writing out a note. A crashing at the door alarmed her and she looked up to see black rocks smashing through the door. “Ohh…” She struggled with the bottle. “Darn cork!”  
  
The cork accidentally fell on the ground and she gasped. “Uh oh.” She looked back at the door, then grabbed her key and the note she just wrote and put them in the bottle before she started to head for the cork.  
  
The door burst open and her Kurlock was trapped in a black rock cage as Cassandra stepped inside. “Come on, Calliope, don’t make me hurt a kid to get what I want again.”  
  
Calliope didn’t know what she meant, but she was _not_ a child, thank you very much, just short! “No!”  
  
“Give me that key, or I will _tear your precious Spire apart_.” Cassandra warned her.  
  
“It is pronounced ‘spy-yer’.” Calliope said as she hid the bottle behind her.  
  
“Tsk tsk, Cassandra.” Calliope heard what sounded like someone walking with a cane. “You mustn’t be so quick to violence.” A woman came in and Calliope moved closer to the cork.  
  
 _Tap. Tap. Tap.  
_  
She tensed as she felt a strange power reaching into her and she struggled to fight it. “Hey…how about some candy?!” She threw hard candies at them and Cassandra let out a yelp as it hit her in the face. She took her moment of distraction to grab the cork and shove it in place, then watched as the bottle shook and glowed before disappearing in a cloud of green smoke.  
  
“That was a poor choice.” Cassandra said coldly as black rocks suddenly bound Calliope, pinning her arms to her sides. “Where did you send it?!”  
  
“I-I’m not telling!” Calliope cried.  
  
 _Tap. Tap. Tap._  
  
“Cassandra.” The woman walked over to Calliope, smiling serenely. “There’s no _need_ for this.” She tapped her cane three times again. “After all, you gave her _such_ a difficult choice. Give up the Mindtrap Talisman, or lose the Spire? Really, you have to pity the girl.”  
  
 _Tap. Tap. Tap._  
  
“Let’s release her, and she can go about her day.” She smiled. “After all, poor Calliope was just _frightened_. She was _so_ helpful before that.”  
  
 _Tap. Tap. Tap._  
  
“Don’t you think that it’s time that you rested?” The woman said, and Calliope felt her eyes starting to droop as the rhythmic tapping continued. “The key is someone else’s concern now, someone else’s difficult decision. You can rest now.”  
  
 _Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
_ “Who took the burden from your shoulders?” Sugracha asked. _  
  
Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
_ “R-Rapunzel…” Calliope said, feeling woozy.  
 _  
Tap. Tap. Tap._  
  
“Thank you. You may rest now.” Sugracha cooed.  
  
 _Tap. Tap. Tap.  
  
 **THUMP  
**  
\--  
  
_Cassandra looked down at the sleeping girl and Sugracha stopped tapping her cane.  
  
“Beautiful work, Sugracha, as always.” Zhan Tiri said, walking up to them while clapping. “Rapunzel will no doubt be coming here to help her friend. I will take the cloak and meet her halfway and see if I can determine where she has the key.”  
  
Cassandra sighed. “I acted rashly. Sorry.”  
  
“You are so used to having to do everything on your own. But, Cassandra, we are _all_ here to help you with reaching your Destiny.” Zhan Tiri said gently.  
  
“We _all_ want Corona’s monarchy to fall.” Sugracha assured her.  
  
Cassandra knelt next to Calliope. “…How long will she sleep?”  
  
Sugracha just smiled serenely.  
  
\--  
  
The Snuggly Duckling was alive with the sound of music. Rapunzel was playing guitar, Varian was playing the piano, various members of the pub thugs had other instruments, and Eugene, Lance, Kiera and Catalina were all dancing around jovially.  
  
Suddenly, a green light came out of nowhere and put a stop to everything as a green bottle appeared from a green cloud.  
  
“Uh, wh-what’s that?” Varian asked nervously as Rapunzel lowered the guitar and approached it. Attila, the closest to it, took it out of the green light and the light faded as he opened the cork.  
  
“I’ve read about these!” Rapunzel said excitedly. “Enchanted message bottles! I’ve _always_ wanted to get one!”  
  
“Ohh. Your lucky day.” Attila said as the message came out of it. “It’s for you!”  
  
“Yes!” Rapunzel took the note and the bottle as Varian and Eugene came over to her. “’Rapunzel, help.’” She started, feeling a sense of dread. The _last_ time she’d been sent a message that started that way… She glanced at Varian and continued reading. “’Cass attacking Spire. Keep this.’ And then it ends. Calliope must be in trouble.”  
  
“Calliope? Oh, right, the obnoxious, know-it-all Keeper of the Spire.” Eugene glanced around to see the thugs all had their weapons out. “Guys, put the weapons down already! It’s just a _bottle_ , for crying in the night!”  
  
They all lowered their weapons and walked away.  
  
“You should go help her.” Varian said, nodding. “What’s in the bottle?”  
  
Rapunzel shook it and then tipped it to empty the contents. “It’s a key.”  
  
“Wow, talk about déjà vu, eh, kid?” Eugene nudged Varian with a grin.   
  
“What does it open, though?” Varian frowned.  
  
Rapunzel shrugged. “It doesn’t say, it just says ‘keep this’.”  
  
Varian took the note. “This long trail of ink implies that she’s in a more desperate situation than _I_ was. She was probably just _barely_ able to send it.”  
  
“We need to get to the Spire as fast as possible and help Calliope.” Rapunzel clenched her fist around the key.  
  
“Uh, Sunshine, this _is_ the _same_ Calliope who lied to us and almost got us eaten by a bear-monster.” Eugene reminded her.  
  
“ _Wow_ , Eugene, did you by any chance make the same kind of excuses about not helping _me_?” Varian asked sharply, and Eugene sucked in his breath and kept quiet. Varian looked back at Rapunzel. “I can upgrade the hot-air balloon to make it go faster.” Varian nodded. “I just need an hour at most.”  
  
“Let’s head back to the Capital.” Rapunzel nodded firmly.  
  
\--  
  
“I chemically treated these thrusters so the flames will burn hotter and longer than any natural flame.” Varian said as he worked, Rapunzel studying the map and Eugene watching him. “You’re gonna fly _like the wind_.” He motioned zipping along quickly, then frowned and dropped his hand. “Don’t touch that.” Eugene, looking like he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar, moved his hand away from Varian’s tool bucket, then reached for something else. “ _Or_ that.” Eugene pouted at him and slumped his shoulders, then reached for the _very thing Varian was working on right now._ “OH MY GOD, DON’T TOUCH THAT, IT’S GONNA BLOW!” Varian yelled, and Eugene screamed and fell out of the basket in alarm and wailed from the ground on the other side.  
  
“Ha, ha! Gotcha!” Varian said teasingly. “Just messing with you.”  
  
Eugene poked his head up over the basket. “…I knew that.” He said as he climbed in, then looked at Pascal and Ruddiger, who were laughing. “And you’re _both_ on my list.”  
  
“Guys, focus.” Rapunzel turned to them. “Look at this, it took us _weeks_ to get to the Spire on foot.” She gestured to her map as Varian leaned on the edge of the basket and Eugene turned to the map. “But, thanks to Varian’s speed balloon _and_ this direct route, we’ll make it in a day.”  
  
“Good job, buddy.” Eugene said, playfully tickling Varian behind the ear. He reached up a hand to stop him, then watched as he climbed out and went somewhere.  
  
Then he turned his attention back to the map and his brow furrowed. “Oh, wait, this takes you over Kreston Loch.” He said, pointing at it before putting his hands on his hips, silently questioning Rapunzel’s judgement.  
  
It didn’t occur to him that she might not know what it _was_ until she stared at him with a bemused smile on her face. “Uh, Kreston Loch? The frozen sea?” He explained. “Miles and miles of deadly, wintry expanse?”  
  
“That’s the one!” She said cheerfully.  
  
“Well, if it were anyone other than _you_ , I’d be worried. Still, might be a good idea to pack some coats, it _is_ going to get cold.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Great idea! Do you think you can fit in one of Eugene’s now?” Rapunzel asked cheerfully.  
  
“Huh?” Varian blinked.  
  
“Since you missed out the _first_ time we went, I thought you could come with us to see the Spire _this_ time!” Rapunzel said, turning to him.  
  
“Well, I, uh—whoa!” Varian yelped as he fell over when he tried to take a step. He groaned and looked at his boots. “Who glued my boots to the ground?”  
  
“That’s for your little balloon prank earlier!” Eugene said, holding a bucket of glue. “Eugene Fitzherbert never forgets.”  
  
“Yeah?” Varian smirked as he pulled out a chemical to dissolve the glue and got back up. “Neither do I.”  
  
Eugene got an “oh, crap” look on his face before he backed away nervously.  
  
Rapunzel giggled as she got out of the balloon. “Come on, let’s go get ready to go!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Off to The Spire!


	37. Spire II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Spire awaits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“What. Is. This. MADE of?!” Cassandra asked as she stabbed into the box with the Mindtrap inside repeatedly. “Nothing is getting through! Not even these rocks!”  
  
Zhan Tiri sipped at her tea as she sat on top of a sleeping Calliope. “It is most likely protected by magic.” She theorized, then looked over as Sugracha pulled something off the shelf. “Suggy, stop poking around.”  
  
Sugracha walked back over to them. “Ah, Cassandra, if only you knew how much your mother wanted to see this place.”  
  
“I guess the old Keeper was a real pain in the side, huh?” Cassandra threw the box on the ground dejectedly.  
  
“Oh, quite.” Sugracha nodded. “At least, the one _we_ talked to.”  
  
“So…” Cassandra sighed. “Was your name ‘Sugarby’ before? And who were you married to?”  
  
“A man I left to pursue knowledge and power.” She shrugged.  
  
“Oh, good. Because _I_ was about to guess Tromus—”  
  
“Well, that’s an unpleasant thought.” Sugracha made a face. “I’d sooner kiss Regulus.”  
  
“Who’s that?” Cassandra asked.  
  
“A traitor.” Zhan Tiri said calmly. “He turned on us before we attacked Corona, so I cursed him into an animal form and sent him away.”  
  
“Hah, what animal? A bird? A donkey?” Cassandra knelt to pick up the box again.  
  
“A raccoon.” Zhan Tiri finished her tea and made the dishes disappear.  
  
“ _That’s_ random.” Cassandra laughed.  
  
“Not at all. He’d always been rather raccoon-like in behavior and looks, I just finished the job.” Zhan Tiri shrugged.  
  
“How long do you suppose until the Sundrop Princess gets here?” Sugracha asked.  
  
“I don’t know. When we came here before, it took _weeks_. With upgraded technology on her side, who knows?” Cassandra sighed and leaned against the wall of the Spire. “I wasn’t able to keep him _away_ from her…”  
  
“Oh, don’t fret, Cassandra.” Zhan Tiri smiled. “We will have plenty of chances to take the alchemist from Rapunzel.”  
  
“You think so? She’s probably got him under heavy guard and a magical barrier.” Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I’ll worry about that later. What if she doesn’t give us the key?”  
  
“With life and death on the line?” Sugracha gestured to Calliope. “If she does not give us what we want, then this girl will not wake.”  
  
“She better hurry, then.” Cassandra smirked.  
  
\--  
  
After making sure they had coats and even Ruddiger and Pascal had some winter gear packed, they set out for the Spire. Varian manned the controls while Rapunzel draw in her journal and Eugene lazed around.  
  
“So…I’m curious, how come you weren’t with Andrew today?” Eugene asked.  
  
“He’s busy planning battle strategies with Frederic.” Varian said as he focused on their destination. “Rapunzel suggested I take a break, but we see how well _that_ goes. Every time I ‘take a break’, something happens.” He sighed heavily.  
  
Rapunzel smiled a bit. “It was just bad timing. Besides, what are you even working on?”  
  
“I’m attempting to improve my amber solution and find way to melt it without using magic.” Varian shrugged. “There’s loads of black rocks around to experiment with without endangering anyone.”  
  
“Hey, Sunshine, speaking of weird magic occurrences, remember that time we used that cauldron to launch the caravan off that rock thing?” Eugene asked her. Rapunzel turned back in her journal and showed him a particular page. “Of course, you painted a picture of that.” Eugene sighed.  
  
“Wait, you used a _what_ to do _what_?” Varian looked at them in alarm.  
  
“Why do you keep drawing me so _scared_ in these?” Eugene pouted.  
  
“I paint it like I see it.” Rapunzel said with a grin.  
  
“I do _not_ look like that when I am scared.” Eugene insisted. “I look _much_ more handsome.”  
  
Varian looked over at the picture. “Um…no, that’s pretty accurate.”  
  
“Oh, what do _you_ know? How often have you seen me sca—AHHH!” Eugene yelled as Rapunzel suddenly messed with the speed controls and Varian banged into Eugene as they both got thrown back.  
  
Rapunzel put the speed back to normal and looked smug. “There it is.”  
  
Varian groaned and got up with Eugene’s help. “You okay, kid?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Yeah.” Varian noticed something and then looked over his shoulder. “…Oh boy.”  
  
“Coats on, everyone.” Rapunzel said as she pulled hers out of the pile, along with her gloves and boots, and put them on. Then she put a terrified-looking Pascal in her coat pocket while the guys put on their coats and warmer boots. Ruddiger curled up around Varian’s neck like a scarf and chittered comfortingly.  
  
“Kreston Loch…it’s even scarier up close.” Varian said nervously. “Are you _sure_ we have to go through here?”  
  
“It’s the quickest way to Calliope. I already failed to save _one_ friend when I could’ve been there, I’m _not_ going to fail again.” She said grimly.  
  
He nodded and took the controls in hand again, carefully steering them through.  
  
Pascal shivered even in the warmth of Rapunzel’s coat and she moved a gloved hand down to gently cup it around him and he nuzzled her gratefully.   
  
“How’s Ruddiger holding up?” Eugene asked Varian. Ruddiger looked up at him with a questioning purr.  
  
“He’s fine.” Varian assured him.  
  
“Good, because we’re all definitely cold right now.” Eugene looked to the side. “Better than _that_ guy, at least.”  
  
Varian glanced over and yelped, seeing a HUGE underwater creature frozen in a cresting wave.   
  
“It still _baffles_ me how you can kidnap a Queen and face an army with nothing but a bunch of tinker-toys and _still_ have any fear.” Eugene admitted.  
  
“You’d be _surprised_ how fearless rage and desperation can make you.” Varian admitted.  
  
Rapunzel sighed softly with a smile. “If we keep up this pace, we can reach the Spire by nightfall.”  
  
“Oh, why did you have to _say_ that?” Varian asked with a groan. “That’s just _asking_ for something to happen to delay—” He gasped as they saw something whizz by them. “And my point is made.”  
  
“What _was_ that?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Not sure, but here it comes again!” Varian said with alarm as he swerved to avoid it. They barely dodged it, thankfully, but they got the feeling it’d be back. Sure enough, it came whizzing by again and sliced through the balloon, then another time.  
  
“We need to find a way to safely set down!” Rapunzel cried as Varian struggled to steer the deflating balloon.  
  
“Rapunzel, you need to get up there and repair the balloon! Use your hair as an anchor!” Varian said, and Rapunzel nodded and let down her hair before climbing up. “Eugene, keep an eye out for our sharp ‘little friend’!” He went on, and Eugene looked around for it.  
  
Rapunzel hooked her hair around the balloon’s rope on top and lowered herself to pull out a sewing kit from her satchel and start sewing the rip. She gasped as something whizzed by her and watched as it swung around and— “It’s a boomerang!” She realized in alarm. “And it’s coming back again!”  
  
“I’m going to land us!” Varian called back. “Hang on tight!”  
  
Rapunzel held on tightly to the rope next to the rip as Varian coasted them into an emergency landing. They set down and then he turned off the burner so the balloon lowered so they could repair it. Rapunzel climbed down to join them. “Everybody okay?”  
  
“All in one piece.” Eugene assured her.  
  
“Could be worse. The sooner we get back in the air, the better.” Varian said as they all got out to start repairing the balloon together. It’d sustained a few more hits, both from the waves and the boomerang, while Varian was landing them and it would take a little bit.  
  
“Why was a boomerang _attacking_ us?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Maybe one of the locals.” Varian said as he and Ruddiger started sewing, the critter having climbed down off his shoulders to help.  
  
Eugene and Rapunzel started to sew their own parts, while Pascal stayed in the warmth and safety of Rapunzel’s pocket. They were focused on their work and then their focus was broken by an odd sound that sounded like howling, at first, but then they realized it was _words_.  
  
“HELLOOOOOO-O-O-O-O-O-O!”  
  
“Think it’s our boomerang-wielder?” Rapunzel asked the others warily.  
  
“HELLOOOOOO-O-O-O-O-O-O!”  
  
They all got up, all but Ruddiger who kept sewing, and prepared to fight, if needed.  
  
“HELLOOOOOO-O-O-O-O-O-O!” Someone came into view and Rapunzel felt relieved to see it was Calliope. “I saw your balloon go down! Were you coming to help me?” She asked as she joined them, then yelped as she slipped on ice and slid up a crest and down onto the ground in front of them.  
  
“Calliope!” Rapunzel ran to her. “Oh, thank goodness, you’re okay!” She hugged her. “We got your message!” She pulled back a bit. “What are you doing here, and what happened with Cassandra?”  
  
“ _I_ escaped, but your _friend_ is still at the Spire.” Calliope replied.  
  
Varian determined there was no threat, sheathed his dagger and went back to sewing.  
  
“She’s after the Mindtrap.” Calliope went on. “An artifact that would give her control over the members of the Brotherhood.”  
  
“The Brotherhood?” Eugene frowned. “Like Adira and Hector.”  
  
“And my dad. _Why_ does something like that even _exist_?” Varian asked in a hostile way as he continued to sew.  
  
“ _I_ don’t know, I just watch over it along with everything else!” Calliope frowned at him.  
  
“What would she want with the Brotherhood?” Eugene asked.  
  
“What do _I_ look like, her biographer?” Calliope said with an annoyed tone.   
  
“Ugh. _Whatever_ Cass plans to do with this Mindtrap, we _cannot_ let her have it.” Rapunzel said firmly.  
  
They heard a sound and Eugene tensed. “Wait. What was that?”  
  
“Is something… _moving_ under there?” Rapunzel asked worriedly.  
  
“Sounds like good motivation to get back in the basket.” Varian said, getting up and starting up the burner.  
  


Fishmen burst out of the ice around them and Rapunzel and Eugene pulled out their weapons. Varian reached into his backpack and pulled out a red stone, which caught Calliope’s attention.  
  
“What’s _that_?” She asked as she climbed into the basket.  
  
“Something that I really hope works, I’ve never tried it before.” Varian said, gripping the stone tightly before throwing out a hand at an approaching fishman. The stone glowed and a burst of fire came out of Varian’s hand. The fishman let out a screech and backed away, saying something frantically to the others before they fled.  
  
“Did you just use _magic_?!” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Kline gave me a bunch of these rocks and said that they allowed _anyone_ to use magic but _only_ to use them if it was an emergency!” Varian said as they all both climbed into the basket. He put the rock back in his bag and started up the balloon.  
  
“’Kline’?” Calliope breathed.  
  
“They’re coming back!” Rapunzel realized.  
  
“Let’s go!” Eugene cried as they lifted off. One of the fishmen grabbed onto the basket and Eugene used the hilt of his sword to knock on his hand until he let go. They moved out of reach, but the fishmen were still chasing them. “Any chance you can use that again?”  
  
“No, it’s bad enough I used it _once_ here! I can’t risk melting the ice!” Varian said firmly. “We just need to get as far away from them as possible. Once we’re high enough, they can’t follow us.”  
  
“Geez, they are fast!” Rapunzel said in awe. “The _leg muscles_ on these things must—”  
  
Eugene quickly grabbed a sword that was thrown at her. “Can’t she pay you a simple compliment?!”  
  
‘They’re using swords.’ Varian realized. ‘Not _a single one_ of them has a boomerang.’  
  
They got over the frozen waves, despite the fishmen running up after them and trying to jump to grab them.  
  
“We made it!” Calliope said excitedly. “Calliope for the win. You’re welcome.” She turned to them.  
  
Varian raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, _you_ did absolutely _nothing_ , don’t go trying to take credit for what _I_ did. Sit down and shut up.”  
  
Eugene bust up laughing when she looked offended, placing a hand on Varian’s shoulder. “Ah, that was great.”  
  
“Oh no!” Rapunzel cried. “They’re in trouble! Varian, _please_ , we have to turn back or they’ll _fall_ and—”  
  
“On it.” He turned them back.  
  
“But they just tried to _obliterate_ us!” Calliope protested.  
  
“Sorry, that’s not the way the Princess works.” Eugene said as Rapunzel lowered her hair for the fishmen to grab.  
  
They safely set the fishmen down on a frozen crest and Rapunzel pulled her hair back up. “Think of it this way! You guys are gonna have _so much fun_ sledding back down that thing!”  
  
The fishmen waved as they flew away again.  
  
\--  
  
When things got warmer again, they all removed their winter gear and Pascal climbed into Rapunzel’s satchel instead while Ruddiger just curled up around Varian’s shoulder again once the coat was off.   
  
It was nighttime by the time they finally approached their destination. “There it is. The Spire.” Rapunzel said, standing close to Varian. She then spoke quietly, so only he could hear it. “Varian, I’m going to put something in your belt. Don’t look.”  
  
Varian didn’t even nod, just stared ahead as they approached the building. “I see why it's called ‘The Spire’. Though, _Juniper_ might call it something else.”  
  
“Like what?” Eugene asked.  
  
“’The Phallic’.” Varian shrugged, and Eugene bust up laughing.  
  
“The fact that you _know_ that; you have spent _way_ too much time around her.” Eugene teased.  
  
“And so have _you_ , for you to find it funny.” Varian chuckled.  
  
Calliope raised an eyebrow from her place at the edge of the basket.  
  
“Not to kill the mood, but let’s just hope we’re not too late and Cass hasn’t gotten that box open.” Rapunzel said, gripping the edges of the basket.  
  
“Oh, yeah, wow. That killed it.” Varian said, nodding.  
  
“It’s Cassandra, she’s always killing the mood.” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“Speaking of the box, where’s the key?” Calliope asked.  
  
“Oh, I have it right here in my bag, which has its very own security system. See?” Rapunzel opened her satchel and Pascal poked out with a squawk and snarled.  
  
Varian chuckled a bit at how adorable that was and Ruddiger let out a sleepy chatter in agreement.  
  
They set down outside The Spire and got out. Now that they were actually here, Varian was getting a bit apprehensive. His _last_ encounter with Cassandra didn’t…go well. Eugene noticed his expression and gently squeezed his shoulder. “It’s okay.” He said gently. “We won’t let her take you again.”  
  
“Where _is_ Cassandra?” Rapunzel asked, looking around.  
  
There was evidence of something being slammed into the wall of The Spire repeatedly and Varian cringed. “Looks like Cassandra threw a _fit_ out here.”  
  
Eugene looked at the dent in the building. “…Yikes.”  
  
“She must be inside.” Rapunzel nodded and then they went to open the door and go inside.  
  
Calliope led the way in and Rapunzel followed behind her, with Eugene and Varian taking up the rear. Ruddiger stroked Varian’s cheek soothingly and Eugene kept a hand on his shoulder, a silent reminder he was there for him.  
  
Varian looked up in awe as they walked into the building, his eyes shining. Eugene chuckled a bit and squeezed his shoulder. If things weren’t so dire, they might let him explore the place a little.  
  
Calliope walked to the central pillar and picked up a small chest. “Here it is!” She turned to them. “Now, give me the key so we can make sure the Mindtrap is still here.”  
  
Varian raised an eyebrow. “It’s still locked _and_ intact. I don’t think she’s taken it.”  
  
“Varian’s right.” Rapunzel moved a hand to her satchel protectively. “ _Clearly_ , Cassandra failed at her goal, since it’s still _closed_. It’s best that we don’t open it.” She looked at Calliope sternly. “Now, where’s Cassandra?”  
  
“She’s _right_ here.”  
  
Varian gasped and hid behind Eugene as Cassandra came down the stairs around the central pillar.  
  
“Cassandra.” Rapunzel frowned. “I _don’t_ want to fight you again.”  
  
Cassandra chuckled. “ _That’s_ on _you_.” She walked up to her. “Where’s the key?”  
  
“Hi, sorry.” Eugene spoke up. “While we’re asking questions, I’ve been sitting on one. The blue hair, what’s going on there?”  
  
Cassandra raised an eyebrow and pulled her sword out of her sheathe.  
  
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Eugene held out his hands in a placating way.  
  
“You’re _not_ getting the key.” Rapunzel said firmly, then smugly crossed her arm over her chest. “I’ve hidden it.”  
  
“It’s in her bag.” Calliope said in a very not-Calliope voice. She walked over to stand next to Cassandra before she grabbed at her face and threw off a cloak, revealing a girl in fancy clothes. “Ahh, I _love_ this cloak.”  
  
Varian peeked out from behind Eugene. Something about her seemed…familiar.  
  
“What have you done with the _real_ Calliope?” Rapunzel demanded.  
  
“She’s fine. Or, at least, she _will_ be,” the girl assured her, “provided you give Cassandra what she wants.”  
  
“I’m sorry, have we _met_?” Rapunzel frowned.  
  
“Introduction later.” Cassandra snapped, sheathing her sword and walking over to snatch Rapunzel’s bag away from her. “Now, hand over the key.” She took it and walked back over to the girl, dumping out the contents. Pascal fell out with a squawk and then crawled over to rejoin Rapunzel. She knelt down to make it easier and checked him over for any damage.  
  
“Where _is_ it?” Cassandra asked, nudging through the contents with her foot.  
  
“Huh? It’s not _in_ there?” Rapunzel asked thoughtfully. “That’s funny. I must’ve put it in my _other_ bag.”  
  
Cassandra turned to her while the girl looked downright _offended_ to have been tricked and walked over to Varian. “You’re right. Maybe you did. Give me your backpack, Varian.”  
  
“Hey, leave him alone!” Eugene frowned, but Varian stepped in front of him.  
  
“Just so you know, if you upturn it like you did with Rapunzel’s. you could potentially kill all of us. The combined chemicals—”  
  
“Give it!” Cassandra snapped. Ruddiger hissed at her.  
  
“It’s okay, Ruddiger.” He gently nudged him off and removed his backpack. “Be careful when looking through it.” He handed the backpack over.  
  
“Fine.” She opened it up and started to dig through the bag carefully, grumbling about having to be careful the whole time.   
  
“Come on, I _knew_ this wasn’t the _real_ Calliope.” Rapunzel said, gesturing to the girl. “I suspected something was up back at Kreston Loch. _Something_ threw the boomerang, but it _wasn’t_ one of the fishmen we encountered.”  
  
The girl pulled out a sharp-looking boomerang. “Oh, and there it is.” Rapunzel said, nodding. “And when you _coincidentally_ showed up moments later, _and_ then _didn’t_ correct my pronunciation of _‘Spire’_? I _knew_ you weren’t the real Calliope.”  
  
“You know, come to think of it, I _thought_ you were somewhat less annoying.” Eugene said thoughtfully, pointing lazily at the girl.  
  
“It’s not here.” Cassandra shoved the backpack into Varian’s chest. “Where is it?!”  
  
“We threw it into Kreston Loch while she wasn’t looking.” He said calmly. “You think I’m going to let you have something that gives you control of my _dad_? I’m _starting_ to wonder if the blue hair comes with lost brain cells.”  
  
“Ohhhhhhhh!” Eugene laughed.  
  
“What a pity.”  
  
Rapunzel tensed and looked to the side as they heard a cane tapping the floor, followed by a woman coming out of the shadows. “That key was the only hope for little Calliope.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Rapunzel asked warily.  
  
Varian frowned, wondering who this person was. Both Rapunzel and Eugene were on edge.  
  
“I told you I could handle this.” Cassandra frowned at her.  
  
“I am not interfering, simply telling them the consequences of their actions.” She stepped aside and Rapunzel gasped, seeing Calliope lying asleep on the floor.  
  
“Calliope!” Rapunzel ran over and pulled her into her arms. “Calliope, wake up!”  
  
No, not again! First Nigel, now Calliope?! “Calliope, wake up!”  
  
“She will not wake, not until we have what we want.” The woman said calmly.  
  
“You…” Rapunzel glared up at her and stood up with Calliope in her arms. “Cassandra, you’re _working_ with Sugracha?!” She paused. “Wait. You got sent away to be with Zhan Tiri, _how_ are you here?”  
  
Sugracha just smiled serenely. “I suspect…that you’re _lying_ about the key.” She tapped her cane three times. “And now you have a choice to make, Rapunzel.”  
  
“I asked you a question!” Rapunzel said firmly.  
  
Cassandra laughed darkly. “Let’s just say, I got some friends on the _other side_. Zhan Tiri’s in my corner and together, we will bring Corona to its knees. And you, Rapunzel, will pay for _everything_.”  
  
Rapunzel looked at Calliope. “Wake her up! Bring her back!” She cried, looking at Cassandra.  
  
“Give us the key and you’ll get her back.” Cassandra smirked.  
  
“This…I can’t…” She looked at Varian. “I _can’t_ make this choice…”  
  
Varian clenched his fists. Give up the minds of his family, or let an innocent be trapped in an endless sleep? What a cruel joke! Nigel was still asleep from what Lucas did to him, and now they had another person in the same situation!  
  
He closed his eyes, a pained expression on his face. Rapunzel was leaving this choice up to him, because it was _his_ father that would suffer from them getting their way. He fought back tears and then opened his eyes with a cold glare to Cassandra, who was now facing him expectantly.   
  
He walked up to her. “It’s in Kreston Loch.” He said coldly. “You’ll have to swim for it, but with how _cold_ you are, I’m sure that won’t be a problem for you.”  
  
She roughly grabbed his vest, but he only glared at her. She scanned his eyes for any sign of dishonesty and let out a growl before shoving him into Eugene. “Fine. I’ll search Kreston Loch. And, when I get back, you _better_ still be here.” She stormed out and slammed the door behind her.  
  
“My, my, such a temper.” The girl said with amusement.  
  
“I know who Sugracha is, but who are _you_?” Rapunzel demanded.  
  
“Oh, I think that can wait.” She said with a smile. “Cassandra will be returning soon, and she won’t be happy. You see, I know that you did not throw the key away, especially if you suspected me from the start. Therefore, it must be somewhere on one of your persons.”  
  
Varian stormed over to her and took the chest. “Cassandra isn’t getting the key, so there’s no point in you _still_ holding this!” He shoved it back on the shelf.  
  
“Such a temper.” The girl walked over to stand with Sugracha, who was standing with her gaze turned to the door thoughtfully.  
  
“If we try to leave, she might stop us.” Eugene said quietly to Rapunzel. “You remember what happened _last_ time we fought her, right?”  
  
“How could I forget?” Rapunzel said nervously, then glanced at Varian. At that time, Varian had been in Old Corona, hounded by the disguised Royal Guard. He didn’t understand just how much danger they were in; the people Cassandra had allied herself with. If Sugracha was here, then this strange girl must also be a Disciple of Zhan Tiri.   
  
Speaking of Varian, he seemed to be looking at the woman thoughtfully as he stood by the chest. He mouthed something a few times, then suddenly stepped forward. “Do you know Lucas?” He suddenly asked.  
  
“’Lucas’?” She asked.  
  
“He’s a Disciple pf Zhan Tiri, and I heard that you were also one.” Varian explained. “Do you know where he is?”  
  
“Oh, child, do you know how _many_ of us there are?” Sugracha looked amused.  
  
Varian frowned and then walked over to Rapunzel. “We should just leave while Cassandra’s gone. I’m sure the Saporians can help your friend.”  
  
“ _You’re_ not going _anywhere_.” Sugracha said, her eyes flashing green. The girl stepped out of the way and Rapunzel stepped back, holding Calliope close to her.  
  
\--  
  
Turns out, Sugracha was just as crazy as before, and they were completely unable to move when she used her powers on them. Cassandra came back dripping wet and furious, slamming the doors open, and stormed right up to Varian. “What is _wrong_ with you?!”  
  
He just stared at her. “Did you check deep enough? Maybe one of the fishmen has it.”  
  
She slapped him, hard, and Rapunzel let out a cry of alarm. “Enough games, Varian! You give me what I want, or I’ll be taking your father out of the picture _permanently_!”  
  
Rage flickered in his eyes and he struggled to escape Sugracha’s powers. “You wouldn’t _dare_!”  
  
“Oh, you think I’m scared of you and your little bag of tricks?” He smirked, and then paused. “…Bag of… _oh_.” She groaned. “How did I overlook this?” She suddenly used black rocks to grab Varian by the arms and legs, forcing him to stay put, just in case. Ruddiger hissed and jumped at her and she jumped back in alarm. “Hey! How the hell?!” She smacked him away.  
  
“Ruddiger!” Varian cried.  
  
“Tell your pet to stand down before I make him do it permanently!” She snapped.  
  
“Cass, stop it!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
“Allying with demons, going against the crown, you’ve completely _lost it_!” Eugene yelled.  
  
“Shut up!” Cassandra snapped, binding Eugene in black rocks. “Rapunzel, I wouldn’t try anything, unless you want Calliope _dead_.”  
  
Rapunzel held the Keep closer to her, clenching her fists.  
  
“Any more interruptions? No? Pascal, how about you?” She held out a hand and trapped Ruddiger in a cage of black rocks. “Feel like joining your buddy over there?”  
  
Pascal didn’t move, clinging to Rapunzel. Sugracha released them from her magic and returned to her human form. Cassandra nodded firmly and then gripped Varian’s chin roughly. “No more games.” She hissed, reaching down to unfasten his belt and remove his belt. She checked each pocket one by one, slowly and deliberately, almost tauntingly, before she finally found what she was looking for. “Finally.” She held it up and smirked before walking over to Zhan Tiri, who had gotten the chest down again, dropping Varian’s belt as she left his side.  
  
“Finally.” Zhan Tiri echoed as Cassandra put in the lock and unlocked the box. A blue glow came from inside and then they opened it.   
  
Cassandra reached in and took out a blue stone with the Brotherhood symbol on it, smirking at the trio. “Well, your efforts were _valiant_ , but they failed.” She turned to them. “Oh, by the way.” She smirked. “This is Zhan Tiri.”  
  
“T-The _demon_ Zhan Tiri?!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
“I thought you were a _guy_?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Over the years, I have taken on many forms.” Zhan Tiri walked over to them smugly. “A warlock, a demon…” She grinned at Varian. “Even a _blizzard_.”  
  
His eyes widened. “What…?”  
  
“I must admit, it was entertaining watching you run through the snow for help that would never come, and then to return to a father beyond help.” She giggled and walked back to Cassandra. “We’re done here. Let’s return to our stronghold.”  
  
“Sugracha, release her from the spell.” Cassandra walked to the door.  
  
Sugracha tapped her cane on the ground and Calliope glowed green briefly. “Oh…my head…”  
  
“Calliope!” Rapunzel looked at her anxiously. “Are you okay?”  
  
“I…uh…I don’t…huh?” She looked around, confused.  
  
“Prepare yourself, Sundrop.” Zhan Tiri said, drawing their attention back to her. “An eclipse is coming! And, when it does, Corona will become nothing more than _dust_!” She laughed as she left with the other two.  
  
The black rocks sank into the ground and Varian and Eugene both dropped to their knees. Rapunzel set Calliope down and ran to them.  
  
“Eugene! Varian, are you okay?!” Rapunzel cried.  
  
Varian slowly got up and walked over to pick up the belt, putting it back on silently and making sure everything was fastened. Then he picked up his backpack and put it back on, then motioned for Ruddiger to come to him, his cage having opened up. Ruddiger climbed onto his shoulders and curled around his neck.  
  
“…Varian?” Rapunzel asked softly.  
  
He walked past her to the door. “Let’s go home.” He said in a hollow voice.  
  
Calliope rubbed at her head. “Uhm…what happened?”  
  
“Cassandra took the Mindtrap.” Rapunzel said, walking after Varian.  
  
“Geez, who knew Cassandra would side with an _actual demon_ …” Eugene said as he followed them out.  
  
\--  
  
Upon their return, Varian silently left the balloon and walked into the castle. Rapunzel looked at Eugene, concerned, then walked after him. She found him in Cassandra’s old room, opening her closet.  
  
“…Varian?” She asked, walking closer to him.  
  
He picked up the necklace that he’d made for Cassandra and walked past Rapunzel to leave the room. She followed him, wondering what he was doing, and found he was going to his lab in the castle.  
  
“Varian…” She tried again.  
  
He opened the door and walked in, then set down the necklace on his lab table. He stared at it for a bit, then walked to a cupboard and opened it, picking up a vial. Then he walked back over to the necklace and stared at it silently before he put his googles over his eyes, opened the vial, and tipped the contents over the Cassandrium.  
  
The acid worked quickly, melting the element into nothing but a steaming puddle. Rapunzel gasped and brought her hands to her lips, tears slipping down her cheeks. Then he picked up a hammer and smashed the beads he’d decorated the necklace with, one by one until there were only colorful pieces around the puddle.  
  
Then he let out a scream of agony, his hands gripping his hair tightly as he curled up, tears slipping out from under his goggles. Rapunzel came over to him and gently eased his goggles off his face before she pulled him into a hug. He clung to her, sobbing as she gently stroked his hair soothingly.  
  
Cassandra had finally gone too far, for him. The melted Cassandrium and smashed beads were proof of that fact. She held him tighter, letting him cry it out until he didn’t have any tears left to shed for their lost friendship.  
  
She cried for him, she cried for who Cassandra was and what she became, and she cried for the future. He clung to her desperately, sobbing, like she was the only thing keeping him from shattering into pieces like the beads.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra returned triumphant to the tower and eagerly went to her throne holding the Mindtrap like a child that just got an incredible gift. She sat down and ran her hand over the Brotherhood mark.  
  
“You look pleased with yourself.”  
  
She gasped and looked up, surprised to see Matthews there, as well as the bird people. Lucas was sitting with them at the table, looking amused.  
  
“Cassandra just got a really good prize.” Sugracha said as she took her seat at the table.   
  
Zhan Tiri walked over and sat by the throne, kicking her feet eagerly. “Try it out.”  
  
“How do I use it?” Cassandra asked eagerly.  
  
“Focus.” Zhan Tiri smiled.  
  
She nodded and focused, thinking of Adira. She caught her in the midst of meditating, and sent a silent commend to meet up with Hector in the Great Tree. Then she focused on Hector, telling him to stay in the Great Tree. Finally, she focused on Quirin, who was picking pumpkins at this time. She left him to it but got a good look of where he was through his eyes. Old Corona, and it looked like the Saporians were also living there.  
  
She sighed and opened her eyes. “A successful test run.” She grinned.  
  
“Good.” Zhan Tiri got up. “Why don’t you come and meet the rest of our little group?”  
  
“I’ve already met _most_ of them.” Cassandra said, getting up. “Didn’t realize they were with _you_ , though…”  
  
Zhan Tiri giggled. “Oh, Cassandra, this is only a _portion_ of us. The rest are still sealed away, so we must return to the Demanitus Chamber and free them.”  
  
“Well, that can wait.” Cassandra nodded. “It’s not going anywhere.”  
  
“Besides, we already have the most loyal here.” Matthews said calmly. “We don’t need any more.”  
  
“What about…my mother?” Cassandra asked. “How loyal was she?”  
  
“Oh, to a fault.” Sugracha assured her. “It is a shame we lost her, but a lot can happen in thousands of years.  
  
“Or eighteen.” Cassandra muttered.  
  
“Let’s not think of such things. Sit down and enjoy tea and cake. And, don’t worry, it’s normal tea.” Lucas chuckled.  
  
“We were both quite surprised to learn you turned against Rapunzel.” Mother said as Cassandra took her seat.  
  
“Our skills are at your whim to command.” Father assured her.  
  
“Good.” Cassandra nodded. “Because if I’m going to take down Corona, I’m going to need a Royal Court I can rely on.” She grinned, reaching up a hand to idly play with the black streak in her hair. “The eclipse is coming.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The gang's all here! Well...mostly.


	38. Gothel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's something spooky going down in a creepy old cottage in the woods, and Rapunzel and Varian go to investigate it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Hello again, old friend.”  
  
Zhan Tiri hummed to herself as she walked into the Demanitus Chamber. The place had been abandoned by the boy after the attack, and so she was free to explore the Chamber.  
  
It’s true, maybe of her old allies were still trapped, but a good many more had disappeared. No matter, she had the ones she needed.  
  
She crossed the bridge and walked over to play her hand on the amber-covered machine. “My dear Demanitus, I wanted you to know,” she stroked a finger down the amber, “you’ve _lost._ ” She smiled slyly. “When the eclipse comes, I shall draw the powers of the Sundrop and Moonstone to myself. And as for the human hosts, well…” She chuckled. “I don’t think there’s much hope for them.”  
  
She sighed and picked up a damaged gear, tossing it into the abyss. “Your only hope, at this point, is if your pathetic old partner decides to step in, but I doubt I will have any problems with him. And as for the boy,” she trailed her finger down the amber again, “rage and hate can be rather delicious motivations, as he knows well. I wonder if he can hold back this time?”  
  
She stepped back. “I have devised a trap for the Princess and Cassandra, and when it springs…well, _I_ will certainly be enjoying the show. You? Perhaps not so much.” She walked out of the Chamber, pausing to look up at the still-sealed Disciples. The boy’s amber was stiff, and there was no way she could activate it to free the rest.  
  
“Corona will soon learn very well what happens when someone does not keep their promise.” She said, walking out and into the tunnels. “Again.”  
  
\--  
  
For eighteen years, boys from ages 5 to 13 had been daring each other to go into the creepy old cottage in the woods at night. No one had ever dared to stay longer than a few minutes, though, except for one person – which didn’t really help his reputation much.  
  
Two little boys had been dared to go to the cottage by older kids, and they carried with them only a single lantern to light their way.  
  
“Looks like this is the place…” One of the boys said nervously.  
  
“Come on, let’s go!” The other insisted. “Or, are you scared?”  
  
“I-I’m not scared!” The young boy insisted.  
  
They approached the door and pushed a vine from in front of a window, then looked in. “Ha, ha, you’re scared.” His older friend teased.  
  
“Am not!” The younger one insisted.  
  
Glancing away nervously, he opened the door old, creaky door and stared inside.  
  
“Y-You go first.” The younger one said, gripping the lantern tightly.  
  
his friend steeled his resolve and walked inside, passing by a broken old music box on his way in.  
  
They heard mice squeaking, but otherwise didn’t see or hear anyone. The younger one held up his lantern nervously as he stood next to his friend.  
  
“This place gives me the creeps.” The older one said nervously.  
  
“Not me.” The younger one lied.  
  
“Oh yeah? Think you could stay the night here, like _Varian_ did, then?” The older one asked with a nudge.  
  
“No way! I’m not a witch. Or crazy. Or whatever he is. He talks to wild raccoons!” The younger one shook his head.  
  
“Yeah, he’s _always_ been kind of weird, hasn’t he?” The older one nodded.  
  
Their lantern lit up a lot of overturned stuff, dust and cobwebs everywhere. It was clear that no one had been here in many, many years, despite the dare being an annual thing, a rite of passage to being a man.  
  
“See? No big deal.” The older boy assured the younger one.  
  
“Oh yeah? Then, why don’t _you_ stay the night?” The younger one nudged him.  
  
They heard a door creaking open and looked over to see the door behind them had opened a little. The older one looked at the younger one and then they both walked over to open it wider.  
  
“There’s no—” He was cut off by the feeling of sheer terror when a snarling woman came into view. They screamed and fled the building, the door slamming shut behind them after they left.  
  
\--  
  
“Oookay. All you need to do is keep your eye on the ball.” Rapunzel said as she spoked to a few kids.  
  
“You saw a _what_?”  
  
She looked over to see Varian talking with one of the younger boys. “Uhm, Varian? Are you playing or are you distracting?”  
  
“Do you want me to go check it out?” Varian asked the boy, apparently having not heard her. “I’m pretty sure it’s not a ghost, maybe one of the older kids was pulling a prank on you.”  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel tossed the ball and he winced as it bounced off his head. “Whoops.”  
  
He looked over at her. “Sorry, Rapunzel. Something’s come up.”  
  
“Ooh, what is it?” She walked over to them.  
  
“Uhm…” He looked a bit unsure. “Okay, so there’s this stupid thing the male kids all do, a dare, and Seth was dared last night and saw something strange. I’m going to go check it out.” Varian placed a comforting hand on Seth’s shoulder.  
  
“Ooh, let me help!” Rapunzel insisted.  
  
“I…don’t know if you want to.” Varian looked at her.  
  
“Why?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Because…” Seth looked a bit nervous. “I saw the ghost of Old Lady Gothel!”  
  
“Or what he _thinks_ was a ghost.” Varian assured Rapunzel. “Either way, uhm…it’s at Gothel’s old cottage, where she used to live before she…took you.”  
  
Rapunzel’s jaw dropped. “And you think I _wouldn’t_ want to go?! Now, I’m going even _more_!”  
  
Varian sighed and looked at Seth. “Come on, we’ll go together and you’ll see that it’s just a prank one of the older kids pulled. Probably Clyde, he’s always been mean.”  
  
“Clyde _did_ dare me…” Seth nodded.  
  
“He dared _me_ too.” Varian nodded.  
  
“Wait, _you_ did this dare, Varian?” Rapunzel asked, surprised.  
  
“Er, yes.” Varian nodded.  
  
“He not only did the dare, but he stayed the night, I heard!” Seth nodded. “That’s when people started calling him a witch.”  
  
“I didn’t exactly have a choice, the storm outside was too strong for me to open the door and Clyde ditched me there – I was _seven_!” Varian sighed. “Anyways, yeah, I spent the night there. And, with that, I guess I’m going to go back.” He offered Seth his hand. “I’ll show you there’s nothing scary.” He smiled.  
  
“I’m going with.” Rapunzel insisted.  
  
Varian looked at her, then shrugged. “Fiiiine. But don’t go telling people about the dares, got it?”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “My lips are sealed!”  
  
“As far as dad knows, I got lost and ended up taking shelter there.” Varian said as they walked off together, little Seth clinging to Varian’s gloved hand.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel felt apprehensive as they walked towards the cottage. “See? It’s a lot less scary during the daytime.” Varian assured Seth. “You probably saw a painting of her or something, everyone knows how vain she was.”  
  
Seth nodded, but he still held on tight to Varian’s hand as they approached the building together. Rapunzel stopped and looked up the building and Pascal made a frightened squeak.  
  
“I know, buddy.” Rapunzel said, looking down at him. “I don’t like it, either. But, I have to see for myself what’s going on here. If it’s a ghost or…”  
  
Ruddiger chittered encouragingly to Pascal from his place around Varian’s shoulders.  
  
“Relax, Rapunzel. Even if she _did_ have a ghost, it’d be at the tower, where she died. Not in the cottage she hadn’t visited for the eighteen years she had you.” Varian assured her. “This is probably just Clyde’s idea of a prank, or just a painting.”  
  
“Y-Yeah, it’s not a ghost!” Seth said nervously.  
  
None of them noticed a blue-eyed gaze watching them as Varian opened the door and led them inside.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel wasn’t going to lie, she was very, very nervous. They stepped inside and Seth whimpered a bit, but tried to hide it behind a yawn. “T-This isn’t scary at all!”  
  
“Oh? Does that mean you’re okay with me letting go of your hand?” Varian teased.  
  
“N-Nuh-uh.” Seth shook his head.  
  
“The bedroom’s over there, with some rather comfortable beds if you ever feel like getting stuck in a storm for a night. I slept on Gothel’s because it had the better blanket and it was cold.” Varian pointed to it like a tour guide, and Rapunzel giggled a bit. “Kitchen is over here, with loads of pots and pans and a bunch of rotten food. This place really needs to be cleaned up. Where did you see the ghost?”  
  
“O-O-Over there…” Seth pointed to a slightly-ajar door.  
  
“Huh.” Varian walked over to it with Rapunzel, Seth letting go of his hand to hang back. “Alright, let’s see this ‘ghost’.” He pushed open the door wider and then they heard some kind of…mechanism?  
  
They saw a cloaked figure coming out of the shadows, and then she turned to them with a vicious snarl. Varian raised an eyebrow and walked in, ignoring Rapunzel’s frantic protests. “Hello, Miss Gothel.” He greeted. “You’re looking unusually frozen today.”  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel went in to join him. Seth fled the building as soon as the woman came out.  
  
“The “ghost” charged at them, then stopped short before slowly moving back. Varian laughed and looked at Rapunzel. “It’s alright, Rapunzel! Didn’t you hear that squeaking?”  
  
“Squeaking?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
Varian walked over and pulled off the cloak, revealing that it was only a wax torso of Gothel.  
  
“See?” He turned to her. “It’s just a prank. Anyone with a basic knowledge of mechanics could create this.”  
  
“Oh…oh, good.” Rapunzel nodded. “Isn’t that good, Seth?” She looked over her shoulder. “Uhm…Seth left.”  
  
“Apparently.” Varian started to fidget with the mechanism. “It’s very well done, whoever set this up knew what they were doing and they clearly wanted people to think that Gothel was here.”  
  
“Yeah, but the question is…” Rapunzel walked over to join him.  
  
“’Why’?”  
  
They both tensed and turned to see Cassandra standing in the doorway with an annoyed look on her face.  
  
“What are you doing here?” Rapunzel asked nervously.  
  
“I got a tip that people had been poking around my old home, thought I’d look into it. And, lo and behold, _who do I find_?” Cassandra stepped closer to them and they both backed up.  
  
“You haven’t lived here in eighteen years.” Varian shrugged. “People have come and gone from this place loads of times since then.”  
  
“Well, I’m putting a stop to that.” Cassandra said firmly. “I want you _out_ of here, now.”  
  
“Yeah, uhm, let’s go, Varian.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“You planning to clean this place up and move back in? Don’t know why you would, you have that _fabulous_ tower already.” Varian said, ignoring Rapunzel’s attempts to get him to just leave with her. “’Home sweet home’, wasn’t it?”  
  
“I don’t want people getting their grubby hands all over my memories with my mother!” Cassandra snapped.  
  
Varian suddenly bust out laughing. “Memories? You don’t _have_ any! All you have is a vision a demon showed you! You never knew her all that time, not like _I_ did!”  
  
There was a tense silence, and Rapunzel looked confused while Cassandra scowled. “ _What_ was that?” She demanded.  
  
“Oh, did that _sting_?” Varian asked. “To find out that, all that time, _your mother_ was staying in the manor with _me_ when she wasn’t in the tower with Rapunzel?” Varian asked mockingly. “That she had the opportunity to see you and _didn’t_?”  
  
Cassandra drew her sword. “Take it back!”  
  
“I only speak the truth, Cassandra. You were _nothing_ to her.” Varian said coldly.  
  
“Take it back!” Cassandra ran at him and he dodged to the side. She cut off the head of the wax figure while trying to cut him down and Rapunzel cringed, holding her neck.  
  
“Ah, the memories. She was my biggest supporter when it came to alchemy, kept saying I reminded her of ‘an old friend’.” Varian continued, deliberately pissing her off. “She’d leave the Kingdom and come back with little trinkets for me, she got me my first Flynn Rider book.”  
  
“Shut up!” Cassandra yelled.  
  
“Does it _hurt_ , knowing that your mother was thinking of _me_ , instead of _you_?” Varian taunted.  
  
Rapunzel gasped as the door suddenly shut and she ran over to try to open it. “Varian, Cass, stop fighting, we have to get out of here!” She cried.  
  
“I’ll _make_ you shut up!” Cassandra summoned black rocks to charge at Varian and he rolled out of the way before getting up and smirking at her.  
  
“Guys!” Rapunzel cried, then yelped as Cassandra summoned black rocks that tilted the building sideways. “Cass, stop!”  
  
They all fell through a door and landed in a heap together in a mine cart. Cassandra groaned, still holding onto her sword, and Rapunzel slowly raised her head. “Okay…so…we’re in a mine cart.”  
  
“We fell from up there.” Varian pointed up at the doorway above them.  
  
“Look…” Rapunzel cleared her throat. “We all got issues with each other, but why don’t we put them aside and figure out how to get out of…wherever we are?”  
  
Cassandra and Varian glared at each other and Ruddiger hissed at Cassandra. Rapunzel sighed. “Guys…please? Little truce? Itty-bitty, teeny-tiny truce?”  
  
Varian sighed. “Fine.”  
  
“For now.” Cassandra said with a huff. “As long as Varian is _civil_.”  
  
“Oh, trust me, I have _loads_ of practice with being civil with someone I _hate_.” Varian said coldly.  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “Guys…” She started to push herself up, then gasped as she accidentally tipped the cart slightly and they took off down a track. “Whoooooa!”  
  
“What _is_ this place, anyway?” Cassandra asked as they sped down the track.  
  
“Some kind of cave.” Varian replied. “Maybe an abandoned mine.”  
  
“Duck!” Rapunzel cried, and they all ducked down into the cart as it smashed through a large stalactite.  
  
They all clung to the sides of the cart as they spiraled down the track, going deeper and deeper underground. They hit the end of the track and got tossed out, all of them hitting the ground in different spots.  
  
“Oof…” Rapunzel groaned and slowly raised her head. “Cass? Varian?”  
  
Cassandra reached out and picked up a music box wheel and then glared at Varian, who was slowly sitting up and checking him and Ruddiger before he took off his backpack and checked the contents.  
  
“No injuries, nothing broke.” Varian reported as he closed up his backpack and put his backpack back on, Ruddiger climbing onto his shoulders right after.  
  
“Right…uhm…” Rapunzel got up and looked around to see Pascal going after some cave bugs. “We need to work together to get out of here.”  
  
“’Work together’. Yeah, no. I agreed to a truce, not a cooperation.” Cassandra hissed.  
  
“Fine, die down here. Save everyone trouble.” Varian got up and walked over to inspect a doorway.  
  
Cassandra narrowed her eyes and held out a hand. A black rock suddenly shot out at Varian and Ruddiger alerted him so he could duck to the side. “Only if _you_ die with me.”  
  
Rapunzel looked between her two companions and sighed. “Guys… _please_ …”  
  
Varian sighed and walked over to Rapunzel. “After what happened at the Spire, I can’t even stand to _look_ at her.”  
  
“Wow, that’s rich, coming from the kid that make me a whole new element.” Cassandra smirked.  
  
“I melted it.” Varian said calmly.  
  
“You…what?” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“I _destroyed_ the Cassandrium.” Varian said, turning to her. “You made it clear that our friendship was _nothing_ to you when you went after my father. So, I destroyed it.”  
  
She frowned. “Shame. I liked it.”  
  
“You don’t _deserve_ it.” Varian said coldly. “But, hey, I’ll make you _another_ _one_ if you hand over the Mindtrap so I can _destroy_ it!”  
  
“Hah!” Cassandra laughed. “Not a chance.”  
  
“Then we remain enemies.” Varian said coldly.  
  
“Cass…” Rapunzel walked over to her. “ _Why_ won’t you let go of the Mindtrap? Did the Brotherhood _hurt_ you in some way?”  
  
“It’s insurance.” She said firmly. “I don’t want to have to _fight_ them, so I’m making sure that if they come after me, I can _stop_ them. That’s why the Moonstone had it created, because it feared the same thing.”  
  
“So, you’re _paranoid_.” Varian raised an eyebrow. “You know, the _only_ reason they might attack you is because, oh, you _stole the Moonstone_.”  
  
“I didn’t _steal_ it, it was my _Destiny_!” Cassandra argued.  
  
“Then why did it _fight_ you?!” Varian demanded.  
  
They heard a loud screech and everyone went silent.  
  
“Uhm…we’re not _alone_ down here…” Rapunzel said, chuckling nervously. “Guys…”  
  
Cassandra glanced away. “Fine. I’ll cooperate. Just until we get out of here.”  
  
“Fine.” Varian reached up to stroke Ruddiger’s fur as he walked away from her.  
  
Rapunzel sighed and walked over to him. “I _know_ how much this is hurting you, being near her…”  
  
“It only hurts because I don’t have anything to take her out.” Varian said coldly.  
  
“Varian, no!” She gently gripped his arms. “You don’t want to hurt people, remember? What was it you said to Andrew on the airship?” Varian glanced away and Rapunzel went on. “’You’re not a killer. You’re _not_. You’re a sweet guy, who loves animals and protects kids and…you’re _not_ a killer.’” She took his hands in hers. “I’ don’t want people to be hurt…and I don’t want _you_ to hurt people. _Please_.’”  
  
He stared at her, then chuckled. “Throwing my own words back at me. I didn’t even realize you _heard_ that.”  
  
“I’ve got pretty keen ears.” She grinned.  
  
“Are we going to wait around for whatever that was, or can we go?” Cassandra asked sharply.  
  
Varian looked over at her, then back at Rapunzel, speaking quietly. “But, if it comes to protecting Corona and my loved ones and _Cassandra’s life_?” He squeezed her hands and then pulled his hands away from Rapunzel’s. “You _know_ what I’ll pick, in a heartbeat.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and nodded, then they walked over to join Cassandra to explore the mine, Pascal coming over to climb onto Rapunzel’s shoulder as they walked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are pretty tense!


	39. Truce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Putting aside their differences, Cassandra, Rapunzel and Varian find their way through the mines.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Why did Miss Gothel have a door to this mine in her house?” Varian asked as they walked.  
  
“I don’t know.” Cassandra frowned. “I don’t remember her ever using it.”  
  
“Cassandra, you only remember one vision’s worth of a life with her.” Varian shook his head. Cassandra scowled.  
  
Rapunzel cleared her throat. “So, uhm…you’ve…never mentioned knowing her before.”  
  
“Yeah, uhm…I didn’t intend to tell you, it just…came out in my anger.” Varian admitted. “I mean, we were _harboring a criminal_ , and didn’t even know it. I was spending _hours_ hanging out with a _kidnapper._ ” He glanced at Cassandra. “Like mother, like daughter, I suppose.”  
  
“I only took you because you destroyed the translation key and I needed control of the rocks!” Cassandra said firmly.  
  
“So why didn’t you let me go after that? Oh, that’s right, I was a _threat_. You couldn’t stand to have me be on Rapunzel’s side, so you tried to keep me away from her.” Varian said coldly.  
  
“You were _bait_ , Varian.” Cassandra scoffed. “If I wanted to take you away from Rapunzel so badly, I’d have taken you at the Spire.” She smirked. “You were _completely_ at my mercy there.”  
  
“Conspiring with demons, do you even have a soul left to save?” Varian looked away from her. “Or has the darkness swallowed you up completely, so there’s nothing left?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and then looked around as they stopped. “Uhm…which way should we go? There’s three paths.”  
  
“We could split up.” Cassandra suggested.  
  
“Bad idea.” Varian looked at Rapunzel. “Let’s take one tunnel and Cassandra can take one of the others.”  
  
“I thought you just said it was a bad idea?” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“Oh, I don’t care if _you_ die down here or not, but _I’m_ not leaving Rapunzel’s side.” Varian said with a shrug. “You can come with us or go on your own.” He knelt down and Ruddiger hopped off his shoulders. “Ruddiger, see if you can smell fresh air.”  
  
“Do you think if we contacted the Saporians, they could use some kind of tracing spell on us?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“I don’t think they have one, or else they’d have used one to find me before when I was kidnapped.” Varian shook his head. “Might be worth an ask, though.”  
  
“How do you expect to _ask_ them? _They’re_ out there, we’re in _here_.” Cassandra asked with an irritated tone.  
  
Varian ignored her and took off his backpack to pull out a mirror as he tapped the surface. “Andrew?”  
  
Cassandra gasped as the mirror glowed and she heard Andrew’s voice coming from it. “Hey, it’s good to hear from you. No one’s seen you in a few hours. Everything okay?”  
  
“Er, well, k-kind of? We’re stuck in an underground mine with Cassandra. Rapunzel’s with me.” Varian said as Rapunzel leaned over his shoulder and waved.  
  
“ _Why_ on _Earth_ are you two with _Cassandra_?! _Alone_?!” Eugene cried.  
  
“We ran into her while checking something out, and now we’re stuck.” Rapunzel explained. “Can you use a tracing spell on us or anything?”  
  
“Only if you keep the mirror activated until the spell is done.” Andrew replied. “Juniper, we’re going to need some components for a tracing spell. Rapunzel and Varian got themselves stuck somewhere with Cassandra.”  
  
“We’ll keep the mirror activated.” Varian promised, then followed Ruddiger as he scampered off, Rapunzel right behind him.  
  
“Hey!” Cassandra went after them.  
  
“Apparently she’s taking the same tunnel as us after all.” Varian said to Rapunzel.  
  
“I never said I _wasn’t_ , _you’re_ the one that suggested that!” Cassandra fumed.  
  
“So, how long will the spell take?” Varian asked. “The sooner we get away from Cassandra, the better.”  
  
“You were _in my house_!” Cassandra snapped.  
  
Rapunzel held out a hand. “Guys, hold on. Did you hear that?”  
  
“I’m putting the mirror in my bag.” Varian said as he removed his backpack again and carefully put it in one of the pouches. “Still on?”  
  
“Yeah, but you put us in a _pocket_.” Eugene said with a pouting tone.  
  
“Try _actually_ shrinking down into a magical shell. You’re not _actually_ in my pocket.” Varian pulled out an alchemy bomb as they heard something growling.  
  
“We’re going to keep quiet for a bit.” Rapunzel said to the mirror. “Something’s in here with us – besides Cassandra.”  
  
“Not sure if it’s less or more dangerous, though.” Varian added.  
  
Cassandra glared at him.  
  
They heard something shuffling and saw a giant mole ahead of them. Varian paled and moved behind Rapunzel as quietly as he could. Then Cassandra let out a curse as she tripped on something and they heard a music box starting to play.  
  
Cassandra quickly swiped it as she got up and shoved it into her armor. “Why don’t I just take care of this thing with the rocks?”  
  
“Because there’s a _reason_ mines get abandoned, Cassandra.” Varian frowned at her. “It was bad enough you used the rocks before, you might release some kind of toxic gas. Besides, you want to _kill_ the mole?”  
  
“No, I intended to use _flat rocks_.” Cassandra said sternly.   
  
“You’ll still hurt it.” Varian frowned.  
  
“Well, what’s _your_ sugges _—”  
  
_ “Guys, come on!” Rapunzel pleaded.  
  
They both sighed and nodded. Rapunzel nodded. “Okay, so let’s just…stay still, and see what happens.” She suggested.  
  
The mole came closer to them. Cassandra tensed, but didn’t move as it sniffed her, the closest to it, and then wandered off again. They breathed sighs of relief and walked on together.  
  
“Okay, so…let’s just…try to get along, okay?” Rapunzel said as they walked.  
  
“And keep it down.” Varian said quietly. “Don’t drop that music box again.”  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes and glanced to the side. There was a large pit to the left of them…she could push them in and be rid of them, if she wanted to. But, no, she needed Rapunzel alive until the eclipse. And part of her wanted to bring Varian to her side somehow.  
  
Maybe Zhan Tiri or one of the others had some kind of brainwashing spell.  
  
“Still there?”  
  
Varian pulled out the mirror again. “Yeah, we’re still here. How’s the tracing spell going?”  
  
“Juniper just came back with the components we need; it’ll take some time to set up and cast. Why don’t I call you back when it’s ready?” Andrew suggested.  
  
“How come Clementine isn’t doing it?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“She’s still trying to free Nigel from the deep sleep Lucas put him in.” Eugene said grimly.  
  
’Lucas?’ Cassandra thought, looking at them. ‘It _can’t_ be the same guy…can it?’  
  
“That damn Disciple.” Juniper hissed. “What did he _do_ to him?”  
  
‘Yep. Same guy.’ Cassandra glanced away.  
  
“Probably just as well that we ended up giving up the key in the end.” Rapunzel said glumly. “Calliope would be in the same state right now.”  
  
“We didn’t ‘give it up’, it was _stolen_ from us.” Varian said sharply, glaring at Cassandra.  
  
Cassandra sighed and walked on ahead. “Let’s keep going before another mole shows up, or we have another fight.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Yeah, let’s…let’s keep going.”  
  
“I’ll call you back later, alright? That way you don’t have to worry about us making noises.” Andrew said, and Varian nodded. “Alright. Take care, stay close to Rapunzel.”  
  
“Raps, be careful.” Juniper added.  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ll be fine!” Rapunzel assured her.  
  
The mirror went dark and Varian put it back in his bag.  
  
“…So, what _is_ that mirror, anyway?” Cassandra asked.  
  
“A Saporian invention, it’s for long-distance communication.” Varian replied, putting his backpack back on. “I don’t really get it, but it’s easy enough to use.”  
  
“Huh.” Cassandra nodded. “When did you get that thing? You didn’t have it when I took you before.”  
  
“I did, I just didn’t have in my _bag_.” Varian sighed. “Besides, I wouldn’t have been able to use it if I _did_ have it.”  
  
“Hm, true.” Cassandra nodded and they walked on, glancing around in case of more moles.  
  
They spotted a large bat, and then more, all fast asleep and conversation ended completely, with them all walking as quietly as they could to avoid waking the creatures. No matter how well Cassandra could handle herself in a fight, she didn’t want the hassle and the other two wanted to avoid having to protect themselves from the creatures.  
  
They safely moved past them and then breathed sighs of relief before looking back at them. “Okay…where now” Rapunzel asked quietly.  
  
“That door is a good start.” Varian pointed ahead of them, and they looked over to see a wooden door in the stone wall.  
  
“Door it is.” Cassandra said, walking over and pushing against the door to try to open it. It was old and the hinges were rusted and Rapunzel came over to help her before they got it open and stepped inside.  
  
Varian looked back at the bats before he headed in after them and then they closed the door as quietly as they could, though the creaking set them all on edge and they felt great relief when it closed without waking the bats – at least, before it was too far closed to endanger them.  
  
“Okay…” Rapunzel looked around. “Where are we?”  
  
“No idea.” Cassandra brushed the black lock of hair out of her face as she walked further in.  
  
Varian noticed something and walked over to the side before taking off his backpack and pulling out a glowing alchemy ball. “There’s a bookshelf here.”  
  
“Stop poking around.” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“Don’t treat me like a child.” Varian retorted.  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “Not again…Guys, come on.” She walked over to stand between them. “You agreed to be civil, remember? That means no mean comments, no deliberately antagonizing…”  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
“She started it when she took the Mindtrap.” Varian said coldly.  
  
“And if you get into a fight here, you could end up crushing us all under the mountain.” Rapunzel said firmly. “Please?”  
  
Varian sighed and got up, walking over to Cassandra. “She’s right, we’re only endangering ourselves by being hostile.”  
  
“Fine. We _are_ on a truce.” Cassandra walked away from him and lit a torch. “But once we’re out, it’s business as usual.”  
  
“Oh, you plotting to take over and me plotting your death?” Varian asked cheerfully.  
  
Rapunzel slapped her hand to her face, Pascal mimicking her.  
  
“Yeah.” Cassandra smirked and walked on.  
  
Varian went back to the bookshelf and pulled pout a book, handing his alchemy ball to Ruddiger to read by. “Hey, this is Miss Gothel’s handwriting!”  
  
“Really?” Rapunzel walked over to him. “What’s it say?”  
  
“It’s kind of faded…I can’t read irt in this dim lighting.” He closed the book and put it in his bag.  
  
“Hey! Hey, what are you doing?!” Cassandra snapped. “Who said you can take that?!”  
  
“Miss Gothel did.” Varian replied as he picked out another book and put it in his bag. “She told me before that if ever she could bring me something to help with my research, just let her know and she’ll get it. I think this counts.”  
  
Cassandra made a choked sound. “I think those should go to _ME_!”  
  
“You don’t even know what these are.” Varian looked at her. “They’re research journals, Cassandra. I bet you don’t even understand half the terms in these.”  
  
She glared at him and turned to walk on to explore.  
  
“What’s this?” Rapunzel asked. “Cassandra, come back, I need the light!”  
  
Cassandra groaned and came back over. “What?”  
  
“Oh my god, Varian, look at these!” Rapunzel cried. He looked up and got up to join her, closing his backpack as he did.  
  
“These…” Varian’s eyes scanned over the various notes and drawings. “These are Demanitus’ notes on the Sundrop and Moonstone! Why would Miss Gothel have these?!”  
  
“There’s a lot of _her_ handwriting, too. Is this a picture of Demanitus?” Rapunzel looked over the papers with wide eyes.  
  
“’If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again’.” Varian chuckled. “I remember her telling me that…”  
  
“Why does this say ‘spikes’?” Cassandra frowned. “It’s pointing at both the Sundrop _and_ the Moonstone.”  
  
“Maybe the Sundrop also makes spikes, like thorns?” Varian shrugged. “If I’m reading this right…Miss Gothel was once a student of Demanitus!”  
  
‘And a Disciple of Zhan Tiri, but I knew _that_ already.’ Cassandra thought, keeping that fact to herself.  
  
“We need to make note of where this is so I can go back and read this stuff; imagine all we could _find out_!” Varian said excitedly.  
  
“We’ll be sure to do that.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
“There’s a translation key.” Varian stood on tiptoes to read it. “I guess she would’ve _had_ to know how to read it to use the healing incantation.”  
  
Cassandra stepped away from the papers, feeling a bit ill. This was another part of her mother that Varian and Rapunzel had complete access to, but she didn’t understand. How long had she had this _down here,_ and Cassandra _never_ _knew_?  
  
“Gothel was alive a _long_ time…” Rapunzel said as they moved on, Varian pulling his backpack on as they walked and Ruddiger hopping back onto his shoulders.  
  
They stopped in front of a bunch of mirrors. “Whoa. I knew she was _vain_ , but…” Rapunzel looked at them.  
  
“Hold on.” Varian walked forward and touched one of the mirrors before anyone could say anything. The mirror lit up as an image appeared in it, similar to Varian’s Saporian mirror.  
  
“Good morning, beautiful.” Gothel greeted.  
  
“Mother?” Cassandra and Rapunzel cried in unison.  
  
Pascal started to jump away to a shelf and Ruddiger snagged him before he could knock something over. Varian nodded approvingly to his pet, who knew well the dangers of knocking over vials and bottles.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How is Gothel speaking to them?


	40. Mirror, Mirror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gothel's secret hideaway is full of Magic Mirrors! Cassandra learns more about her mother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Well, don’t _you_ look lovely today?” Gothel asked as she placed her hands on her cheeks. “Smoky eyes _definitely_ work for you.”  
  
Varian stifled a laugh.  
  
Rapunzel groaned. “And…she’s talking to herself.” She said, looking annoyed before she touched another mirror.  
  
“Today, I received _several_ compliments on my way into town. The bookseller couldn’t _believe_ how young I looked!” Gothel gushed.  
  
Cassandra touched another one. “Someone told me I was _breathtaking_. Can you believe it? _Breathtaking_!” Gothel said excitedly.  
  
“Magic mirrors.” Cassandra said as they walked on.  
  
“Andrew told me that the Communication Mirrors are derived from Magic Mirrors.” Varian said as he looked around. “Now I know what he _meant_.”  
  
“It looks like these can trap images and play them back. Like a diary or something.” Rapunzel said as she looked at more of them.  
  
“Ha, and I thought _your_ journal was annoying.” Cassandra smirked.  
  
“Still…It’s nice to hear her voice again.” Varian said, touching another mirror while Rapunzel went to light the fireplace and Cassandra looked at a large painting of her mother.  
  
“I was paid the _nicest_ compliment today. There I was picking out fruit and—” Gothel looked over her shoulder. “Oh, Cassandra. Would you be a dear and sweep a little quieter?”  
  
Varian’s brow furrowed as he watched little Cassandra look sheepish and walk away with her broom. “…I’ve never _seen_ her like that.”  
  
“Really?” Rapunzel asked as she and Cassandra walked over to join him. “Because _that_ was pretty normal for me. I did the chores while she went off to…I don’t know. Apparently play with _you_?” She shrugged.  
  
Varian shrugged, looking dumbfounded. “Wait.” He paused. “She was _never_ mean to me, like, at _all_. I mean, aside from scolding me for not being careful in the lab and hurting myself. But it looks like _you_ two _both_ have her being mean in common.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully as he walked over to look at the painting.  
  
“What are you getting at?” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“What if she wanted a _son_?” Varian looked at Cassandra. “If you were a _boy_ , maybe she would’ve treated you better. Maybe this is a case like the evil queen that was so obsessed with her own beauty that she killed anyone prettier than her and enslaved her stepdaughter before finally trying to have her killed when she grew to be prettier than her? Only, without the killing people part. Pretty sure Gothel didn’t kill people unless they came between her and the Sundrop Flower.”  
  
“That… _actually_ _makes sense_.” Rapunzel said thoughtfully.  
  
“…Oh.” Cassandra breathed. “So…yeah, that…that _does_ make sense. It also explains why she left Rapunzel alone in the tower for long periods of time while she spent time with someone completely unrelated to her.”  
  
“Well, when she wasn’t off on a trip out of the Kingdom.” Varian shrugged. “She also tried to seduce my dad, once or twice. Stopped after he threatened to throw her out in the rain.”  
  
Rapunzel stifled a laugh.  
  
Cassandra reached out and touched the mirror again, watching it herself. “…Didn’t she love me _at all_?”  
  
“She probably did, she just didn’t know how to show it. I mean…I _think_ my dad loves me. He _says_ he does, but…” Varian walked away.  
  
Cassandra looked over at him, her brow furrowed. Was he right? Did her mother mistreat her and eventually abandon her because she wanted a son? And then, a few years after kidnapping Rapunzel, she found a little boy who had just lost his mother and was in need of a woman’s care. The son she always wanted.  
  
She clenched her fists. It wasn’t _fair_! She’d abandoned her for Rapunzel, then made merry with someone else’s _son_ that she wasn’t even _living with_ , and never even _looked_ for Cassandra! Why wasn’t she _good_ enough?! Why did _everyone_ get to have a happy life with her mother but _her_?!  
  
She knew that it wasn’t _all_ chores and neglect for Rapunzel, she’d heard too many stories about hazelnut soup and late-night singing sessions and “I love you most”, which of course Cassandra had _never_ gotten, not as far as _she_ knew!  
  
She felt tears prick at her eyes as she glared at the two of them, Rapunzel having joined Varian when he pulled out his little Communication Mirror.  
  
‘They _both_ need to pay…’ She thought. ‘And I know _just_ how to hurt _him_.’  
  
To do that, though, she needed to get out of here. She’d have to rely on them and their little tracing spell, just until they get rescued. Then…it’s “business as usual”.  
  
“We’ve started the tracing spell, so keep the mirror active.” Andrew told them.  
  
Varian nodded. “Okay, we’ll do that. Andrew, guess what we found here! Miss Gothel was a student of Demanitus! She has so many research notes, and her very own translation key!”  
  
“Yeah?” Andrew asked.  
  
“It’s incredible! There’s so much she can _teach_ me, even now!” Varian said excitedly. “Years and years of research! I’m going to need a cart to bring it all home!”  
  
Cassandra bit her lip to keep herself from lashing out. How _dare_ he talk so happily about taking the property of _her mother_! Rapunzel seemed to be perfectly content with knowing that Varian spent so much time with her, but Cassandra was ready to _wring his neck_ if he didn’t shut up!  
  
Her head reeled and she stumbled back, bumping against another mirror.   
  
“Oh, here. Let me show you, sweetheart.” Gothel said, and Cassandra looked at it to see her mother holding the music box that she’d given her, the one that had broken the night she lost her. “Turn the key, like this, so whenever you hear this tune, you’ll think of your dear, sweet mother and the love I have for you.”  
  
Cassandra moved her hand away from the mirror as it continued. “I love you, mama!” Her younger self said, hugging her tightly before running off with the music box. She was about to step away, but it was still going.  
  
“Ugh.” Gothel groaned. “ _Hopefully_ , that’ll keep her out of my hair for a while. Lousy little _pest_.” She grumbled.  
  
The mirror went dark and Cassandra clenched her fists.   
  
What if Varian was _right_? What if she never _wanted_ a daughter, that Varian was the son she wished _Cassandra_ had been? What if Cassandra were a boy? Would she have never left her? Would she have come back for her after securing Rapunzel in the tower? Would she have faced the Royal Guard to get her back?  
  
And if she _didn’t_ , what if she were a boy, would she have been in the Royal Guard, training to be Captain someday without any Lady-in-Waiting training? Would she have been the one to find the tower, to meet Rapunzel, to see her mother, to reunite with her and give up her old life to be with her again? Would she and Rapunzel have grown even closer than friends? She wouldn’t deny that she had been feeling an attraction for the Princess, an attraction she didn’t dare voice because Rapunzel was…she had Eugene, and had eyes for no one else.  
  
She pushed those lingering feelings down, right where the small amount of affection she felt for Varian before was locked away. All that mattered now was her Destiny. And no sheltered Princess and uppity teenager were going to _take it away_ from her, like they took _her mother_.  
  
She moved her hand over the Moonstone protectively, listening to Varian continuing to talk to Andrew about what he’d found down here, while Rapunzel just stood next to him with a bemused smile on her face.  
  
They would _both_ pay when the eclipse came.  
  
\--  
  
The tracing spell would take time, so Varian took the mirror with him and went to go over Gothel’s notes and books and examine her alchemy solutions while Cassandra and Rapunzel wandered aimlessly, trying not to touch any mirrors.  
  
Of course, they ended up setting them off, anyway.  
  
“Oh, you wouldn’t _believe_ the man I _met_ today. Tall, strong, dark, built like a _horse_ , though I didn’t get a look _down_ there. Oh, if only he’d looked my way for longer than helping me from falling into a mud puddle, such a gentleman. I heard he’s the best friend of the prince, but you couldn’t find two people more different from each other.”  
  
“I got a new dress today and got _so_ many compliments while wearing it. Green isn’t normally my color, but I might wear it again sometime.”  
  
“Well, my search for the Moonstone didn’t go as planned, but I at least enjoyed my time at the Great Tree. I haven’t been there since that battle, and that was _certainly_ one for the history books. But I couldn’t be away from my flower for too long, so I had to return. A shame, the young man I met was wild, but rather pleasant once you got under past his defenses.”  
  
“Ew, she seduced _Hector_?” Rapunzel cringed.  
  
“Who _didn’t_ she seduce?” Cassandra rolled her eyes.  
  
“Apparently, not _my dad_.” Varian remarked. “That guy she mentioned, the friend of the prince? That must’ve been my dad.”  
  
“Go back to your reading.” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“ _You_ try reading her research notes while hearing her talk about her sexual exploits.” Varian rolled his eyes and then looked back at the mirror. “They keep poking the Magic Mirrors.”  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes and Rapunzel sighed. “Cass…can we talk?”  
  
Cassandra glanced at her. “What about?”  
  
Rapunzel took her hand and led her away a bit to speak quietly. “I’ve seen the look on your face, ever since you found out about him and your mom. Especially since we found the mirror with you in it. Cassandra, please, be _rational_. There was _no_ way he could’ve known about you; you _can’t_ be angry with him about what Gothel did. Or _me_. I was _kidnapped_ , Varian was a _vulnerable child_ and you…you deserved _so_ much better.”   
  
She looked over at Varian. “He’s as upset as _you_ are, he’s just…scarily good at hiding his emotions, after spending a year in prison. Imagine finding out the woman that cared for you was a…a kidnapper, a liar, that you were her alibi, that you had been unknowingly harboring a criminal? Cassandra, people were being killed for _any_ kind of association with my kidnapper, if they were found out…”  
  
Cassandra yanked her hand away. “He doesn’t _act_ upset. And if he was so upset, why would he use his relationship with her against me?”  
  
“Because you took something that can _control his father’s mind_!” Rapunzel cried. “You KNOW how he is about his father! You KNOW what hurting him would DO to Varian! And, this time, his rage would be directed at _you_ , exclusively. Well, you and Zhan Tiri and…whoever else you’re working with.”  
  
Cassandra sighed and brushed her fingers against another mirror.  
  
“They’re gone…all of them.” Gothel sounded haunted and looked much, much older. “Every…every last one. I was…I was guarding the flower, I didn’t…I didn’t know…Demanitus sealed them all away. If I wasn’t guarding the flower…” She clutched at her neck, looking horrified. “I’m…I’m the only one left.” A manic smile formed on her lips. “The flower is _mine_ , and _mine alone_. I don’t have to share it with _anyone_! Not Zhan Tiri, not Regulus, not Demanitus, not _anyone_!” She laughed wildly and then the mirror went dark.  
  
“…Wait…was she with _Zhan Tiri_?” Rapunzel asked, her eyes widening.  
  
Cassandra shrugged. “Apparently.”  
  
“’Apparently’?! Cassandra, you got recruited by your mother’s old employer into a life of crime!” Rapunzel looked at her in disbelief.  
  
Cassandra rolled her eyes and walked away. “Zhan Tiri is going to help me get my Destiny, something that has been denied to me by _everyone_.”  
  
“Zhan Tiri is just _using_ you!” Rapunzel cried. “Just like your mother used _me_!”  
  
“No!” Cassandra shoved her back and Rapunzel bumped into another mirror.  
  
“You won’t _believe_ the weather today, oh, just _beautiful_! I just _had_ to pack a basket and have a lovely picnic in the woods.”  
  
Rapunzel stepped away from the mirror. “Cassandra, please, you have to realize that the demon is only thinking of _herself_! She betrayed Demanitus, why not _you_?”  
  
“Demanitus betrayed _her_!” Cassandra said firmly.  
  
“Is that what _she_ told you? Because everyone knows that she sought to take the powers for herself, when all _he_ wanted to do was research it!” Rapunzel said sternly.  
  
Varian looked over at them with annoyance, then looked back at his reading. “Actually, yeah, Cassandra. He just wanted to research it, but everyone that betrayed him, including Gothel, wanted to take them for their own use. Zhan Tiri promised everyone equal share of the stones, as long as they all worked together to take down Saporia and the Dark Kingdom. The battle at the Great Tree was Demanitus stopping them from attacking the Dark Kingdom, and so they gave up on it and went after Saporia, instead.” He held up the book he was reading. “Gothel’s own words, right here. They used Corona to take down Saporia and Gothel was put to guard the Sundrop Flower while the others went after Demanitus, who challenged them to a final battle.”  
  
“Where does Saporia come into this?” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“Cass, that bridge we crossed? Those ruins?” Rapunzel sighed. “Saporia used to protect the Sundrop Flower like the Dark Kingdom protected the Moonstone. Corona was manipulated, King Herz Der Sonne was manipulated by Disciples of Zhan Tiri into attacking Saporia!”  
  
Cassandra sighed. “So?”  
  
“’So’?’ Rapunzel frowned.  
  
“That’s the past, Rapunzel. It has nothing to do with me and my Destiny.” She moved her hand on the Moonstone. “And when the eclipse comes, you and I will be having a long discussion on Destiny.”  
  
Rapunzel frowned. “Cass… _please_ , you _have_ to _stop_ this.”  
  
Cassandra clenched her fists. “You don’t get to tell me what to do _anymore_.” She said coldly.  
  
Rapunzel reached out to her, but Cassandra moved to the side and Rapunzel touched a mirror, instead.  
  
“They’ve taken it. They’ve…they took the flower, they…they destroyed it, the Sundrop is _gone_. I…” Gothel gripped her hair. “I need to get it back…I can’t let Cassandra see me grow any older than this. I have to go, now. The baby…her hair is unusually long, and blonde…it has to be her. I just need a bit of it…that’s all I need. Just enough to keep me young and alive.”  
  
The mirror went dark and Rapunzel gripped at her hair.  
  
“You…might not _know_ this, Cassandra, but the night she _took_ me, she tried cutting my hair, first. She took me because cutting my hair made it lose its power.” Rapunzel looked at her. “She never wanted to take me from the start, all she wanted was my hair. That’s all I was to her, a vessel for the Sundrop.” She clutched at her hair sadly. “Cass, Gothel wasn’t worth all of this. And this Princess and Pauper thing you think we have? It’s not _real_. You—”  
  
They heard voices and looked over to see a door opening. Varian got up and Cassandra moved into the shadows as Eugene came in with Andrew and Juniper.  
  
“You’re okay!” Eugene ran to her and hugged her, while Andrew and Juniper went to Varian and did the same. “Where’s Cassandra?” He looked around.  
  
“She’s—” Rapunzel looked over to see Cassandra running out the door. “…Leaving, I guess.”  
  
“Let’s get you both home.” Andrew smiled and rubbed Varian’s head.  
  
Varian nodded. “And then can we come back with a cart?”  
  
Andrew laughed. “Okay.”  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra fled through the woods, back to her tower. She stumbled a bit and felt firm arms wrap around her. She briefly panicked before she looked up and saw ice-blue eyes looking down at her. “What’s the rush?” Lucas asked.  
  
She let out a choked sob and leaned into his chest. “She didn’t just leave me for _Rapunzel_ , she also left me for _Varian_!” She looked up at him. “Did she _ever_ say anything about wanting a _son_?!”  
  
Lucas blinked, then chuckled. “She never said anything about wanting _any_ kids. However, she _was_ really close to this one teenager that was with us. He was a lot like Varian. She probably sees him as a replacement for little Regulus.” He tilted her chin up. “But, hey, just because _she_ chose a magical little girl and an alchemist kid, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t worth having. You’ve got the rest of us, and we’re more than ready to make up for all those years she abandoned you for the Sundrop Princess.”  
  
She clutched at his shirt, burying her face in his shoulder. “I want to go home.”  
  
“Come on, then.” He lifted her into his arms and carried her back to the tower. “Destiny can wait a little bit, let’s take some time to rest and recuperate and plan.”  
  
She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Cassandra being manipulated, like Rapunzel says, or has she found true allies in her mother's old colleagues?
> 
> ((A/N: Next chapter may be a bit, got hit with writer's block. Look forward to what I have planned, though!))


	41. Replacement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Due to certain problems with their enemies, there has to be a change of staff in the Royal Court of Corona. Replacements are chosen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

At Kline’s request, he and Clementine had met with the royal family, Eugene, Varian, Andrew and Juniper in the throne room.  
  
“So, we have good news and bad news.” Clementine revealed.  
  
King Frederic sighed and rubbed at his temple. “Let’s…let’s hear them.”  
  
“We know what’s happened to him, why he won’t wake up.” Kline revealed. “Unfortunately, the bad news is that we have to either defeat the Disciple that put him in that state or convince him to let him go.”  
  
Rapunzel winced. “That’s going to be tough…”  
  
Varian pursed his lips. Defeating Lucas was going to be _tough_ but convincing him might take something they weren’t willing to do - Varian, in particular. He wasn’t oblivious to Lucas’…intentions, but he’d also made a Deal or something with Andrew and, apparently, breaking that wasn’t allowed?  
  
But, figuring out how to get Lucas to free Nigel was going to have to wait. Right now, they were down a Royal Advisor, with war on the horizon. Well, sort of war. It was Corona against Cassandra and the Zhan Tiri group.  
  
“It sounds like we’re going to have to track this man down. In the meantime, though, we cannot go without a Royal Advisor…” King Frederic said, then looked thoughtful before looking at Varian. “Varian, do you think you would be willing to fill the role again?”  
  
Varian blinked in surprise. “Are you sure? I mean, I know I took the job before, but that was…”  
  
“Regardless of the circumstances, you did a good enough good at it that the Seven Kingdoms didn’t suspect anything.” King Frederic assured him. “Though, you _might_ want to wear something less…” he paused, searching for a word, “diabolical.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled and Queen Arianna managed to resist doing the same while Eugene openly chuckled. Varian blushed and nodded, figuring he deserved the teasing.  
  
“Well…” Varian shrugged. “I mean, if you trust me to not lead you astray. I will _probably_ not pull any sorting pranks on you this time.”  
  
King Frederic chuckled. “Ah, what’s a prank or two? I’ll send notice to the tailor, he’ll have an outfit made for you.”  
  
“Er, can I design it myself?” Varian asked awkwardly. “The _last_ time the tailor tried to design something for me…” He glanced away awkwardly.  
  
King Frederic nodded, and then they all looked over as the Captain came into the throne room with his men. “Captain.” He greeted as the men bowed before him.  
  
“Forgive my interruption, Your Majesty.” He said with a haunted expression. “But…there is something I must tell you.”  
  
“Rise.” King Frederic smiled.  
  
He slowly stood up. “King Frederic, Queen Arianna. As the Captain of the Corona Royal Guard, I have sworn to defend this Kingdom against all who threaten it.” He tensed, his shoulders slumping a bit, “But, as a father, I cannot face my daughter in battle. I had a nightmare this morning about fighting her…and I could not even raise my sword. I cannot bring myself to harm her.”  
  
He took off his helmet. “And so, it is with a heavy heart that I retire from my post.”  
  
Everyone let out confused and surprised reactions, Pete being overdramatic and fainting onto Stan.  
  
“Captain, didn’t you decide to bring her back?” Juniper asked with concern.  
  
“If I cannot even _dream_ about fighting her, I cannot even consider doing it in the real world.” He said grimly. “The very thought makes me…ill. It would be like if _you_ had to fight Prince Andrew, Princess.”  
  
Juniper looked over at Andrew. “…Yeah. You’re right. I get it.”  
  
King Frederic exchanged looks with his wife before looking back at him. “Captain, you have served Corona with dignity and pride for so many years. Thank you.”  
  
“And we respect your decision.” Queen Arianna assured him.  
  
“Who would replace you, though?” Varian asked.  
  
The Captain looked unsure. “I have a great many men under my command. It is a… _difficult_ decision to make.” He admitted.  
  
Varian looked thoughtful. “Why not have a contest, then? The one most suitable takes the job.”  
  
Eugene chuckled. “Look who’s falling right into his new advising role.”  
  
Varian just clasped his hands behind his back and ignored his teasing. “I think that would be a good final act as Captain, don’t you? To choose a worthy successor?”  
  
The Captain looked confused, then decided he must’ve missed something and nodded. “I will take your suggestion and make preparations.” He looked back at the King and Queen. “Excuse me.”  
  
They nodded and he turned and headed out with his men. “Fitzherbert.” He called, and Eugene blinked and pointed at himself in confusion before following him out.  
  
“Wow.” Rapunzel looked at Varian. “Looks like you’re not the _only_ one getting a new job today.”  
  
Varian shrugged.  
  
\--  
  
The contest was simple enough. Each of his men would take a turn with the role of Captain and try to catch a thief. Dwayne helpfully offered himself as the “thief”, with Kiera and Catalina chiming in that they wanted to be “criminals” too. Which was a better choice than Shorty, who also volunteered himself.  
  
“So, there’s no actual jail time for this, yeah?” Dwayne asked.  
  
“I think, to avoid confusion with the locals, we should keep it to the woods.” Eugene suggested. “Don’t want people to think you’ve fallen back on your old ways.”  
  
“Nah, that’s no fun! We can just explain after. So, what are we stealing?” Kiera asked.  
  
“My crown!” Rapunzel said cheerfully.  
  
“Part of this is also going to be assigning an appropriate number of men to protect the crown.” The Captain told them. “Try to stop the thief before he even gets out the door.”  
  
“May I suggest we make sure at least one person is actually _facing_ the crown?” Eugene asked. “Because, when _I_ stole the crown, no one was facing it. It was kind of sad.”  
  
The other men gave awkward murmurs. Eugene sighed. “Come _on_ , men, we covered this in my ‘to catch a thief’ lessons a year ago! To _catch_ a thief, you have to _think_ like thief!”  
  
\--  
  
King Frederic looked out at the training grounds with a melancholy expression on his face. Varian stood next to him, dressed in a fancy blue tailcoat that was fastened on over black trimming with gray pants and shirt and black boots and gloves. His hair was tied into a neat ponytail and he wore a cravat that matched the white tie in his hair, the only think not neat about his hair was the long bangs on the left side of his face, which bore that odd streak of teal in the black. He’d tried tying it back as well and Rapunzel had declared it looked “not Varian”. Of course, Ruddiger was around his shoulders, as always. He rarely left the teenager alone.  
  
“He’s been Captain since…since before I was King.” King Frederic said softly. “I understand why he’s retiring, but…it will be so _strange_ to have someone else in his place.” He looked at Varian. “Then again, Nigel served my father before me, and now you’re in his place.”  
  
“He served that _maniac_?” Varian raised an eyebrow. “ _That_ explains a lot.”  
  
“Hmhm, yes.” King Frederic sighed, looking back at the field.  
  
“Your Majesty, would it be alright if I continued my alchemy while in this role?” Varian asked. “I’ve been designing a weapon to use against Cassandra.”  
  
“Of course.” King Frederic nodded. “You did before, didn’t you?”  
  
“Heh, yeah…” Varian nodded, then straightened up. “I have a lot of work to do, but we will _not_ be bested by Cassandra.”  
  
King Frederic smiled fondly and nodded. “How is your father?”  
  
“Kai and Maisie are meeting an eye on him, but he hasn’t shown any signs of…you know, turning coat.” Varian glanced away. “I hate to do it, but I’m tempted to suggest we lock him and the rest of the Brotherhood up when they arrive. If only we could find the Mindtrap, but it’s probably in that tower…”  
  
“How much time do we have?” King Frederic’s brow furrowed.  
  
“They keep mentioning an eclipse.” Varian frowned. “I’m not sure when that will _be_ , but maybe another trip to the Spire will answer that.”  
  
King Frederic nodded. “Well, we’ll just keep preparing.”  
  
Varian nodded. “I’ve been reading Gothel’s and Demanitus’ old journals, they’ve been a big insight into how to deal with Zhan Tiri and her goons.”  
  
King Frederic sighed. He hadn’t been especially enthusiastic about learning that something of Gothel, besides Cassandra, still existed. At least the boy had stopped short of bringing back one of those Magic Mirrors.  
  
\--  
  
And so, the contest began. One by one, each of the men tried their hand at assigning guards and trying to catch the three “thieves”, with hilarious – and embarrassing – results for many of them.  
  
“Maybe we should’ve just let the Stabbingtons out.” Varian said dryly after the fifth “Captain” failed to arrange a proper guard or catch the criminals. “They aren’t taking this seriously because they aren’t proper criminals.”  
  
“They’re doing their best.” Rapunzel said, giggling a bit as Catalina hopped on the back of one of the guards before running off with the crown. The arrangement was that they get as far as the castle gates, then go put it back.  
  
“Yeah, I know. That’s the _sad_ part.” Varian sighed heavily. “What, did all the competent guys aside from the Captain and Maximus come from High-Security? The ex-criminals? You telling me they sent _all their best_ to harass a teenager for months?”  
  
Rapunzel just shrugged with an amused smile as Catalina came back to put the crown away.  
  
“I think a recruitment might be in order.” Varian glanced at Eugene, who was talking quietly with the Captain off to the side, probably about Cassandra.  
  
“Alright, my turn to arrange the guard now!” One of the guards said boisterously. Varian rolled his eyes and prepared to mentally tick another Captain candidate off the list.  
  
The King had asked him to watch over this contest in his place, since that’s what Nigel would be doing if he were awake. And since this was actually _Varian’s_ idea, it was only fitting that he sees how it goes.  
  
He was seriously regretting making the suggestion.  
  
Eugene was just there to give advice, since he was technically not part of the Guard yet, though he did get a snazzy red, white and gold outfit for the occasion, since he decided that he needed a “new look for the job”, too.  
  
Varian didn’t know why he _wasn’t_ , considering he and Cassandra had been the ones leading the charge against _him_ before. He’d certainly _proven_ himself. But, the other guards might claim nepotism if the Princess’s boyfriend got the job so, to make it _fair_ , this contest was happening.  
  
It was bad enough some people were wary of _him_ being Royal Advisor again, but they couldn’t deny that, the mines aside, he hadn’t been a bad one. And he hadn’t done anything like _that_ this time, so that should ease their worries.  
  
“Eugene, why don’t _you_ give it a shot?” Rapunzel asked, looking over at him.  
  
“Alright, we’re going again. At least _try_ to take us seriously?” Keira asked as the trio left the room.  
  
“Haha, no.” Eugene shook his head. “I’d sooner play the part of a thief, I am _not_ a Royal Guard guy. Didn’t we find that out _last year_ , when I tried out?”  
  
“Aww, you didn’t do so bad. I mean, it’s clear that dungeon patrol wasn’t for you, but I bet you could do a great job as a Royal Guard.” Rapunzel walked over and squeezed his face.  
  
Varian rolled his eyes and watched the guards as they kept an eye out for the “thieves”. Something caught his eye and he looked up with a start as someone came down from the ceiling, snagged the crown and climbed back up quickly. “Hey!”  
  
“Whoa, now, that’s a real thief!” Eugene jumped to his feet and ran out with the rest of the men.  
  
“…We should really do something about that loose tile.” Rapunzel said thoughtfully. “Isn’t that how Eugene did it before?”  
  
The Captain nodded.  
  
Varian looked to the door. “Wait a minute, he was wearing Flynn Rider’s clothes!” He realized, running out after them.  
  
“Oh, wait for me!” Rapunzel ran after him.  
  
\--  
  
They all took off riding into the woods after the thief, the guards all on their own horses, Eugene on Maximus and Rapunzel and Varian on Fidella. “Are you _serious_ , he’s _wearing_ my old clothes?!” Eugene asked as they rode.  
  
“You mean the clothes from Flynn Rider’s very first book cover? Yes.” Varian replied. “I didn’t get a good look at his face, but I recognized the _clothes_ for sure.”  
  
“So it’s another fan!” Rapunzel said cheerfully. “Maybe you can bond over that!”  
  
“Rapunzel, this guy stole your crown. We’re not _bonding over a book_.” Varian shook his head.  
  
“Wait, who’s in charge right now?” One of the men asked as they rode.  
  
“I’m taking a turn! Come on!” Eugene yelled to them. “You know these woods like the back of your hands, we can find this guy!”  
  
“One thing we know he _won’t_ be doing is climbing into any towers and meeting any Princesses!” Rapunzel said jokingly.  
  
Varian and Eugene both turned their eyes towards the tall, imposing black tower before looked at her. She shrugged. “I don’t think he’s climbing that.”  
  
“Yeah, true, it’s unclimbable.” Eugene nodded. “Hold on. Flynn Rider never stole the crown, that was _me_. So, if he’s following _my_ moves…come on!” He steered Maximus down a path through the woods and Fidella followed with her two riders.  
  
\--  
  
Eugene led them to a thicket and then slowly got down from Maximus, the others doing the same, before they carefully approached the bushes to look through them.  
  
“I knew it.” Eugene hissed. “He found my old loot-kissing spot.”  
  
“Your old _what_?” Varian asked.  
  
“Every thief has a loot-kissing spot.” Eugene shrugged. “Where they think they’re safe enough to, as it’s called, kiss the stolen loot.”  
  
“Uh, Eugene?” Rapunzel looked at him. “Doesn’t he look like… _you_?”  
  
Eugene looked at the man. “…Uh…” He squinted. “Yeah…yeah, he _does_ , if you remove that horrible _mustache_.”  
  
“So…he’s a copycat _and_ a doppleganger?” Varian looked thoughtful. “Did your dad ever mention you being a twin?”  
  
“Wha— _no_ , _he didn’t_.” Eugene frowned.  
  
“Flynn Rider” was playing with his stolen treasure, putting on the crown and making coin-angels. “I’m getting my vest dirty and I don’t even care!”  
  
Rapunzel stifled a giggle as he then sat up and started to stack coins. “Helloooo, beautiful.”  
  
He threw coins in the air and declared, “It’s good to be me!”  
  
Varian and Rapunzel were both trying not to laugh at this point, while Eugene just groaned at how _he’d_ done that same kind of stuff not so long ago. It was like looking into a distorted vision of his _past_.  
  


“Okay.” Eugene looked at them. “I _know_ what you’re thinking, but I was _not_ this bad.”  
  
“Okay, we believe you.” They said in unison with amused expressions.  
  
Eugene looked back, then gasped. “He’s gone! Max!” He ran to him and got on and they ran to Fidella before they took off after the guy as he fled through the woods.  
  
“Let’s split up!” Varian suggested. Eugene nodded and they split off, Varian reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out a pink ball while Rapunzel pulled out her frying pan from where it was secured to the back of her belt.  
  
\--  
  
“Come on, Max, this fool is as good as caught!” Eugene said as they rode after him.  
  


The thief looked back with a yelp as they got closer and then suddenly tripped on something fast rushing by him, knocking him to the ground. A moment later, there was a pink smoke and he was struggling to escape goo as Maximus and Fidella both approached him with their riders.  
  
“Nice work!” Eugene grinned. “ _Knew_ I could count on you two.”  
  
“Wha—what _is_ this?” The thief asked, and then promptly got knocked out by a frying pan.  
  
“Now we can secure him and question him properly.” Rapunzel said as Varian neutralized the goo.  
  
“Let’s get him back to the castle.” Eugene nodded, taking his satchel. “ _Where_ were you keeping a goo bomb in _that_ outfit?”  
  
“Big pockets.” Varian stuck his hands in them. “Lots of room. You think I _wouldn’t_ make sure I can have my alchemy on me at all times, even while dressed up all fancy?” He tugged on the cravat.  
  
Ruddiger came running back and climbing onto Varian’s shoulders before high-fiving Pascal. “Good job, buddy.” Varian praised him.  
  
Rapunzel smiled, then looked at them. “Uhm…did we bring handcuffs?” She shrugged. “Oh well.” She let down her hair and wrapped it around the thief before putting him in front of her on Fidella, while Varian rode with Eugene on Maximus.  
  
“We better tell everyone we caught him.” Varian said.  
  
“How?” Eugene chuckled. “Communication Mirrors?”  
  
“…That’s not a bad idea.” Varian said thoughtfully. “Yeah…yeah! We need to give everyone on a Guard a Communication Mirror, and an amber bomb, just in case, and goo bombs. Maybe more than one amber bomb. Actually, we’ll have people work in pairs, assign a Communication Mirror to each pair. That way, if—”  
  
“Amber bomb?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“To counter the black rocks.” Varian looked at her. “I’m designing a weapon that will use the amber solution from a distance, but the amber bombs are a good start.”  
  
“Right.” Rapunzel nodded. “Amber. Black rocks. Cassandra. _How_ could I forget?”  
  
“Ohh…” The man in front of her groaned, and she tightened her hair around him before focusing on the road ahead of her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who IS this guy?
> 
> ((A/N: I'll make a proper insert picture later, but for now you can go to my IG zonerobotnik to see Varian's new Royal Advisor outfit!))


	42. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Eugene's mysterious lookalike locked up, it's time to get some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“Well, I think we know who the Captain should be.” The Captain said as they watched Eugene put the crown back, Rapunzel still holding the man in her hair.  
  
“Let’s cuff him and take him to a cell, boys.” Eugene said, turning to the other guards.  
  
“Yes, Captain!” They all said in unison.   
  
“Varian,” Eugene turned to him, “got any of that Truth Serum?”  
  
“Not since Cassandra used what I made before, but I can make some up.” Varian replied. “But, first, I need to go see if His Majesty needs anything…Captain.” He grinned and walked off.  
  
Rapunzel smiled and hugged Eugene as the man was removed from her hair and cuffed. “I _knew_ it’d be you in the end!”  
  
“Heh, I just jumped right into it, didn’t I?” Eugene wrapped his arms around her waist. “Wait until we tell your dad.” He gasped. “Dad! I need to ask my dad or…or _Varian’s_ dad! _He_ might know if I have a twin!”  
  
“Oh. Wow, you’re right.” Rapunzel nodded. “But, first, can we have a little celebration for yours and Varian’s promotions at the Snuggly Duckling? The big, bad copycat can wait.”  
  
“Blondie, as much as I would _love_ to, we don’t know if this guy is even _human_.” Eugene said grimly. “Let me just find out who this guy is, _then_ we’ll talk about celebrating, okay?”  
  
She nodded. “Okay.”  
  
He smiled and kissed her forehead. “Now, let’s go tell your dad the good news, hm?"  
  
The former Captain nodded. “We need to make this official.”  
  
They headed off together, Eugene pausing to look back at the crown. “…We need to get that loose tile taken care of, and maybe put a protective casing around the crown.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “We do.”  
  
\--  
  
The King and Queen were pleased to see the Captain’s choice, and quickly dismissed Varian to let him go to his lab and make a truth serum for their new…friend in the dungeon.  
  
While waiting for him to finish it, Eugene sent Owl to Old Corona to call Quirin over to confirm something. Once it was done, Rapunzel joined the two of them to the dungeon, where “Flynn Rider” was starting to wake up as they unlocked the cell and opened it.  
  
“Ohh…my head…” He groaned, slowly shaking his head.  
  
Varian took the lead, walking into his cell. “Hey. Sorry about the pain, our Princess can go a bit overboard with the frying pan. Especially when you steal her things.” He chuckled a bit and offered him a cup. “Something for the pain?”  
  
The thief eyed him warily, then reached out and took the cup with his cuffed hands, drinking it without hesitation. Varian stood back, watching as he drank it.  
  
“Hey, wait…you look familiar.” The man said as he started to leave the cell.  
  
“What?” Varian looked at him.  
  
“Yeah, the…the stripe thing.” He motioned to Varian’s head. “You’re that Alchemist guy, right? From Old Corona?”  
  
“I was.” Varian nodded.  
  
“Whoa…you’re, like, a celebrity.” The man shifted his position. “Flynn Rider, nice to be met.”  
  
Varian raised an eyebrow and turned to him. “Are you _really_ Flynn Rider? What’s your _real_ name?”  
  
“Really, it’s Fly—mmn?” He stopped, then pursed his lips together. “Mmmnnn…mgghhh…”  
  
Eugene and Rapunzel came into the cell as he struggled with the truth serum.  
  
“Well?” Varian prompted.  
  
“B-Brock. Brock Thunderstrike. _What_ did you _give_ me?” He gasped out.  
  
“A truth serum of my own design.” Varian grinned.  
  
Brock looked like he was a mixture of upset and impressed and seemed to go with the latter. “ _Wow_ …so, _why_ did you give me that?”  
  
“I’ll tell you why. One, that is a _cool name_! Why are you going by Flynn Rider?!” Eugene declared, stepping forward. “Two, _who_ told you to steal the crown?”  
  
“Uh, haha, no one. I just saw an opportunity to get rich quick and _took_ it.” Brock shrugged. “ Heard a rumor of the Royal Guard doing some kind of contest involving guarding the crown and the Royal Guard shifting around and figured I’d take the chance.”  
  
“Who told you this rumor?” Varian frowned.  
  
“I dunno, some fancy-dressed people were saying it in the woods.” Brock shrugged. “Some tall, skinny guy and big, short lady in pale yellow with feathers on their hats. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be true!”  
  
Rapunzel paled. “W-What? That’s _impossible_ , they disappeared when the teapot was destroyed!”  
  
“Sunshine, we don’t know it’s _them_.” Eugene said, turning to her.  
  
“Why are you going by Flynn Rider?” Varian asked.  
  
“Uh, why _wouldn’t_ I? He’s an awesome character! And he was will big in the crime world, up until he decided to become a sellout.” He nodded to Eugene, who frowned.  
  
“Well, why do you have a mustache? Flynn Rider _never_ had a mustache!” Eugene said, stepping forward.  
  
“Eugene, that’s not important right now.” Varian sighed.  
  
“I improved the design a little, took some creative liberties to make him even cooler.” He winked at Rapunzel. “Hey.”  
  
Rapunzel raised an eyebrow.  
  
“We’ve kept the contest a secret from the public.” Varian frowned. “So, someone’s been leaking information…or we have a spy.”  
  
“Wasn’t that Lucas guy posing as a Royal Guard before?” Eugene looked at Varian. “Could you point him out?”  
  
“I haven’t seen him around.” Varian shook his head. “But…he _was_ lurking around here unseen for a while. If he’s working with Cassandra…”  
  
“Then we have to be careful what we say out loud.” Eugene cringed.  
  
Varian nodded.  
  
“So…what do we do with, uhm, _Brock_ , now?” Rapunzel asked. “We got the crown back, we got what we wanted to know…”  
  
“Er, not quite. I asked Quirin to come.” Eugene admitted. “See, I have a burning question, _Brock_. How do you look _almost_ _exactly like me_?!”  
  
He shrugged. “I have no idea.”  
  
“Were you adopted?” Varian asked.  
  
“Wha—I—” He struggled to keep his answer in, then groaned. “ _Yes_. But not in an orphanage, my parents found me abandoned on the roadside when

I was a baby.”  
  
“Where?” Eugene demanded.  
  
“I don’t know!” Brock shrugged. “What’s the big deal, so we look alike _, so what_?!”  
  
“It’s just bugging me, so I need to make _absolutely sure_ that you and I are not…” He cringed, “twins. Y’see, I was _also_ an orphan, I thought. Had some delusions about where my real parents went, got a shocker when I met my dad and found out that…he sent me away to save my life.”  
  
Brock raised an eyebrow.  
  
“See? Even your _expressions_ are the same!” Rapunzel said excitedly.  
  
“So, why call _my_ dad and not yours?” Varian asked.  
  
“One, he’s closer. Two, he might remember better than my dad if there were two babies or not, because my dad is a liiittle bit…uh…too much Moonstone.” Eugene did a loop at the side of his head.  
  
“Look, this has been _fun,_ but I already _got_ a family, okay? And I don’t feel like having my life be turned upside-down with some _grand revelation_ , so if you could uncuff me and let me go, I’ll be on my way and you’ll _never_ see me again.” Brock held up his cuffs.  
  
“You seem to have forgotten that you broke in and stole the Princess’s crown.” Varian raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going _anywhere_.”  
  
“Oh, come on! What do I have to do to get you to just let me go before this ‘Quirin’ guy shows up?!” Brock exclaimed.  
  
“Uh-huuuuuuh, you’re worried that I’m _right_!” Eugene grinned. “Well, I’m afraid you’re not going _anywhere_ until we know for sure. By the way, name’s Eugene.”  
  
“ _Everyone_ knows who _you_ are, _Eugene Fitzherbert_.” Brock sighed heavily. “They talk about you _all the time_ , about how you were the first criminal to turn over a new leaf after meeting Princess Sunshine, and that it caused a domino effect! She even got The Alchemist of Old Corona to turn over a new leaf! And _he_ tried to _kill_ her!”  
  
“Wow, I had _no idea_ I had such a reputation.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Uh, you were the youngest criminal to _ever_ kidnap a Queen _and_ force the King to leave his castle to save her! Not to mention everything _else_ you did! I mean, _come on_ , you _took over Corona_!” Brock gestured to him.  
  
“The more he talks, the more he sounds like you.” Varian looked at Eugene.  
  
“I know, it’s _unsettling_!” Eugene crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
“When is Quirin due here?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“I sent Owl over a couple hours ago, should be here soon. While we’ve got you on Truth Serum, where did you meet the people in yellow, and what did they call themselves?”  
  
“Eugene, you have to ask one question at a time.” Varian sighed.  
  
“Fine.” Eugene sighed. “What did the people in yellow call themselves?”  
  
“Mother and Father. You know, you don’t _have_ to drug me. That is some _genius_ work, though! A Truth Serum, wow! Wait until I tell the guys, heh.” Brock glanced away.  
  
“’Mother and Father’?” Rapunzel clutched at Eugene’s sleeve. “Eugene, what if it _is_ them?”  
  
“Where did you see the people in yellow?” Varian asked.  
  
“Over by the big black tower-tree-thing.” Brock shrugged. “They were talking real loud, like they wanted someone to hear what they were saying.”  
  
“…They _wanted_ us to know they’re _here_ , and they’re _watching us_.” Eugene realized.  
  
“So, uh, _any_ chance I can get out of here before ‘Quirin’ gets here?” Brock asked.  
  
“I need to inform His Majesty that we need to change our method of communicating battle strategies.” Varian said, walking out of the cell. “From now on, we don’t say anything directly. Code words only!”  
  
“Right!” Eugene said as he and Rapunzel left after him, Eugene stopping to close and lock the cell door.  
  
“…Is that a ‘no’?” Brock asked after them.  
  
\--  
  
“This is trouble news.” King Frederic said grimly. “I fear what she may have already learned.”  
  
“She’s probably learned about the change in staffing, for sure. But, we’ve luckily avoided talking too much about what I’ve been working on, and we’ll just have to use code-words from now on for everything important.” Varian nodded firmly. “We can’t let them get _any_ information that can help them take us down easier.”  
  
“Can the Saporians do anything to detect if a Disciple is here?” King Frederic asked.  
  
“We can ask, for sure.” Varian nodded. “I’ll go talk to Clementine and Kline, they’re still in their rooms that we gave them when they came to treat Nigel.”  
  
“Alright, go do that.” King Frederic nodded.  
  
“By the way, dad’s on the way. Our, uh, newest prisoner bears a striking resemblance to our new Captain of the Guard and he’s the only one here that might be able to tell us if there’s a reason why.” Varian informed him.  
  
King Frederic sighed. “That’s…fascinating. But, as much as it pains me, I would like for him to be closely watched. After all, the Mindtrap…”  
  
“I know.” Varian nodded grimly. “We’ll keep him from anything sensitive.” He turned to go. “It hurts me, too, but we can’t ignore the threat that he now poses.”  
  
King Frederic nodded grimly as Varian walked out.  
  
\--  
  
Quirin showed up an hour later, during which time Brock had tried to break out of his cell several times, but couldn’t even break his cuffs. “Oh, come _on_!” He protested as they came back to his cell with a large man. “I don’t want to know!”  
  
“Too bad, _I_ do.” Eugene said, then turned to Quirin. “So, the reason we called you here is because we found _this_ guy parading as my old persona. Now, I can see copying the hair and the outfit, but copying the _face_ is a _lot harder_ , so what I wanna know is, did I have a twin?!”   
  
Quirin looked thoughtful. “It’s been over two decades…” He tapped his chin thoughtfully in a way that reminded Eugene of Varian. “But, yes, I do believe the King had two sons. I cannot _for the life of me_ remember their names, though. Well, one was apparently ‘Horace’, that’s you, but I don’t recall the other one.”  
  
“If _you_ got ‘Horace’, I am _perfectly happy_ not knowing mine.” Brock said in a deadpan tone while Varian laughed.  
  
“So…you’re my _brother_ , then.” Eugene looked at him.  
  
“… _Great_.” Brock said sarcastically, rolling his eyes.  
  
“Great! Mystery solved! We’ll let you out in a week, enjoy your stay.” Eugene turned to go.  
  
“Wait—but, we’re _brothers_!” Brock protested, moving to the cell door and gripping the bars.  
  
“ _Yeah_ , but that doesn’t mean you get a free pass at crime! What kind of Captain of the Guard would I _be_ if I did _that_?” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“A bad one.” Varian nodded.  
  
Brock sighed and rested his head on the bars. “Come on…go easy on me?”  
  
“I _am_ , by only giving you a week! Most people that steal from the royal family get up to a year!” Eugene assured him.  
  
“That’s how long _I_ got.” Varian shrugged and followed Eugene out with Quirin.  
  
Brock groaned. “ _Seriously_?!”  
  
\--  
  
“So, I have a twin brother I didn’t know about.” Eugene said as he walked with Rapunzel. “And he likes the same book I do! That mustache is a travesty, though.” He made a face.  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “Come on, Eugene, why don’t we give him a chance? Let’s let him out tomorrow and let him spend some time with us outside of prison. I’m _sure_ he’ll give up his life of crime just like _you_ did!”  
  
“Ah, Blondie, always with the boundless optimism.” Eugene smiled fondly at her. “I’ll have to talk to His Majesty about it.”  
  
“It was _my_ crown.” Rapunzel reminded him. “I think _I_ should say what his sentence is.”   
  
“Ah, nice try, but I don’t want to go behind your dad’s back on my first day.” He nudged her with a chuckle. “Wow, though, to think I had the _twin_ that whole time… _wow_.”   
  
Rapunzel nodded. “That aside, though…we should keep a watch on our citizens and make sure that we notice if anyone goes missing and…”  
  
“Is turned into a bird?” Eugene nodded. “Don’t worry, already told the men about it and they’re patrolling the town. Told Xavier, too – he knows everyone.”  
  
“It’s so great that you’ve adapted to the role so easily.” Rapunzel smiled. “I thought you’d have problems with the men, but they aren’t giving you _any_ trouble!”  
  
“Yeah, well, I think Varian’s contest idea helped.” Eugene smiled. “What do you say we go get something to eat?”  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “That’s it! I’ll bake cupcakes for Brock!”  
  
“Say what?” Eugene looked at her.  
  
“To make him feel more welcome!” Rapunzel hummed happily. “Yes!”  
  
Eugene rubbed the back of his neck. “Er…okay, Sunshine.”  
  
\--  
  
“Royal Advisor…wow.” Quirin sighed softly. “Are you…sure you’re up to the job?”  
  
“I had it for months during the takeover.” Varian shrugged. “I did pretty okay. Why, aren’t you…happy for me?” He frowned.  
  
“I’m just _surprised_ , it’s not really the kind of job you would _pick_ , normally.” Quirin assured him. “I would expect Royal Engineer or something.”  
  
“It’s only temporary, just until Nigel is awake.” Varian assured him. “Uhm…so, how have you been? I know I’ve been really busy with…everything. Why…” He sighed. “Where were you when I was in the tower?”  
  
“My King assigned me the task of contacting the other two. By the time I returned, they’d already set off and…well, I would have been in the way, I think. From what I hear, only a third of the rescue party actually went up to find you.”  
  
Varian nodded. “That’s true…”  
  
He sighed and pulled him closer to him. “I wish I could’ve protected you…I tried, _so hard_ , to protect you…”  
  
“Dad?” Varian looked up at him.  
  
“Please…fight them, if you have to, but don’t…” He pursed his lips. “Just…make sure to keep your gloves on around the rocks.”  
  
“Uhm…okay.” Varian frowned. “Are you ever going to tell me _why_ , though?”  
  
“You’re…not ready yet.” He said, glancing away. “Frankly, I’m hoping I don’t _ever_ have to tell you. Because, once you know…”  
  
Varian sighed. “Can I at least get a _hint_?”  
  
Quirin clenched his fist and Varian stepped back. “S-Sorry.”  
  
“No.” Quirin shook his head. “I…” He bowed his head, moving his hand to rest on Varian’s shoulder. “They will _change_ you. And I…can’t bear to see that happen.”  
  
Varian’s brow furrowed. ‘As a person? Or physically?’ He thought. He decided not to push it, he’d already asked too many questions for his father’s liking.  
  
“Varian…” He said softly. “If that time comes…I hope you can forgive me.”  
  
Varian took his hand in his and smiled. “Whatever it is, I’m sure it’s not unforgivable.”  
  
Quirin sighed and cupped his cheek in his hand. “…I should return to Old Corona.”  
  
“Wait, hold on.” Varian held his other hand tighter. “Before you do that, I want you to talk to Kline. Maybe he knows how to make you immune to the Mindtrap!”  
  
Quirin tensed. “I have spent _enough_ time around _him_.” Quirin pulled away and walked out. “I need to return to Old Corona. Congratulations on your new job, son.”  
  
Varian sighed and let him go, his brow furrowed. ‘What did Kline say to upset him so much?’ He thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A long-lost dad, a long-lost twin, what next?!  
> And what is Quirin's hiding?


	43. Brother

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eugene, Rapunzel and Varian spend time with Brock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel hummed to herself as she carried a plate of cupcakes down to the dungeon. Eugene sighed a bit and looked at her. “I know that you want to _bond_ with him, but you have to remember that he’s _not reformed_ yet.”  
  
“ _Yet_!” She grinned. “Besiiiiides, don’t you _want_ to get to know your brother and spend time with him doing something besides interrogating him and turning his whole world upside-down?”  
  
“I…” Eugene sighed. “I don’t know. I mean, I’m _still_ adjusting to having a _dad_ , now I have to adjust to having a _twin brother_?”  
  
“I guess it _is_ pretty shocking. But, think of it from _his_ point of view. He learned he has a dad, a twin brother, _and_ is _royalty_ , all in one conversation!” Rapunzel looked at him. “That’s actually not too different from what _I_ went through, actually!”  
  
Eugene smiled fondly. “Yeah, I remember. Well, alright. We’ll give it a shot, but I’m gonna be watching him closely, anyway.”  
  
They entered the dungeon and Rapunzel walked up to his cell. “Hello, Brock!”  
  
“Hey, Princess.” He greeted.  
  
“Oh, you can call me Rapunzel.” She assured him. “How are you feeling?”  
  
“Less like my insides are going to burn up every time I try to lie.” He shrugged.  
  
“Haha, yeeeeeah, Varian reeeeeally wanted that information…” She glanced away. “I should ask him to tone it down. I thought he might, after it was used on him, but I guess he didn’t have time to adjust that…” She cleared her throat. “Anyways, I brought cupcakes!”  
  
“Nice, that’ll help the burning.” Brock said, leaning his head back against the wall. “Are you _sure_ I can’t leave? Because, this…this place kind of stinks. It’s _wrecking_ my hair.”  
  
“I know, right? Something about the dark and damp is _terrible_ for proper hair care!” Eugene nodded. “Look, we’re gonna cut you a deal. Spend the day with the Princess and me tomorrow and _prove_ you’re giving up your old ways, and you’ll be let out at the end of the day tomorrow.”  
  
Brock tapped the fingers of one hand on the back of the other. “I can’t just… _quit_ , Eugene. I got a family of bandits that’s waiting for me to come home and…you know, go back to what we do. But, I won’t steal from _you_ anymore, alright?”  
  
Eugene sighed, then smiled. “Well, let’s see if we can change your tune!”  
  
They opened the cell and Rapunzel walked over to give him cupcakes, while Eugene unlocked his cuffs.   
  
He sighed and picked up one of the cupcakes, pausing and examining them. “…How do I know there isn’t anything in these?”  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ve gotten all we need to know out of you. We had to find out who you were working with and stuff and if you were even _human_ , because we’ve got a situation. Those people you saw? They’re part of a demonic cult that lives in the big, black tower.” Eugene explained.  
  
“Aaaaand we had to make sure you weren’t with them.” Rapunzel took one of the cupcakes and took a bite. “Mmm, see? Safe.”  
  
He looked at her thoughtfully. “Well, I doubt the Princess of Corona would poison herself.” He picked one up and took a bite. “Mmm…”  
  
“So, we’ll be seeing you for breakfast?” Eugene grinned. “Of course, there will be guards nearby, but we managed to talk her father out of handcuffs. And we have to ask that you refrain from any fanboy-ish comments to Varian about his villainous days.”  
  
Brock shrugged and grabbed another cupcake. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”  
  
“Great!” Rapunzel clapped her hands together eagerly. “We’re going to have _so_ much fun together!”  
  
Eugene nodded, then walked out of the cell, pausing to look towards the door at the lower level, where the Stabbingtons were. Varian had said before that they might be helpful in the fight against Cassandra…but, no, they had too harsh a history for that. They _might_ just join the cultists.  
  
Better to leave them where they were, let them serve out their sentence.   
  
\--  
  
The next morning, Brock was brought out of his cell by Stan and Pete who, while they weren’t the most competent of guards, Varian reasoned would be the ones easiest to be around. He also, though Eugene suspected he wasn’t supposed to hear it, made a comment to himself on the overall lack of competency in the Royal Guard.  
  
The first awkward event of the day was sharing breakfast with the Royal Family, his…brother…and Varian. And also, apparently the Royal Family of Saporia, which was a thing that he didn’t _know_ was a thing. And also, Varian’s pet raccoon and Princess Rapunzel’s frog – chameleon. He got corrected on that three times before they finally gave up with amused smiles and made a comment about “brothers”.  
  
He had to admit, Varian wasn’t like he’d expected. The wanted posters portrayed an angry teenager with the weight of the world on his small shoulders, the stories told of a cold and calculating criminal, and here he was seeing Eugene ruffle his hair playfully and teasing him about his “new clothes”, to which Varian messed up Eugene’s hair in response and earned a horrified wail from the man as he quickly pulled out a comb to fix his hair.  
  
“Don’t forget, I _still_ haven’t gotten you back for that glue prank.” Varian reminded him with a sly glint in his eyes as everyone but Brock and Eugene laughed.  
  
Okay, so maybe he was still cold and calculating under the surface. After all, he _did_ give Brock truth serum.  
  
\--  
  
The next awkward event of the day was following Rapunzel around as she did her daily “patrol” of walking through the town. Eugene seemed perfectly used to it, though Varian looked a bit nervous as he followed behind her.  
  
He noticed, though, that despite his cheerful demeanor, Eugene’s gaze was sharp. He was constantly glancing around and speaking quietly to Varian every now and then. After a bi, though, he left Varian’s side and went to Brock’s. “Soooo…Varian had reminded me that I’m supposed to be getting to know you right now. Sorry about that, he had to literally trick me into spending time with dad before, heh. Why don’t you tell me about yourself?”  
  
“What’s there to tell? Got found on the side of the road by my bandit parents and raised as a thief, only to find out that I’m apparently one of two lost princes of a fallen kingdom and my dad is insane?” He looked at him.  
  
“Are you _sure_ you were _found_?” Varian asked, looking at him. “Not _stolen_?”  
  
“I--wha—no, I’d _know_ if they were lying to me.” Brock protested.  
  
“Brock, uhm…Princess Rapunzel was kidnapped as a baby and locked away in a _tower_ for eighteen years.” Eugene looked over at Rapunzel, who was picking out candy. “She had no idea her ‘mother’ wasn’t her ‘mother’, or that she’d been kidnapped. And with you being from a Fallen Kingdom, well…no one would be looking. Me, I was taken to an orphanage, or so I was told. No idea what happened to the person my dad left me with.”  
  
He smiled fondly. “But, that’s where I met Lance, and he’s been…so great.” He gasped. “You need to meet Lance! Hey, Blondie, what was that you wanted to do the other day? Some kind of _celebration_?”  
  
“Oh no.” Varian cringed.  
  
“That’s right!” She ran over to them and handed each of them different candies. “Let’s go to the Snuggly Duckling!”  
  
“Uh, can I opt out? I need to go find Kline and Clementine.” Varian said nervously.  
  
“No way, it’s _your_ party, too!” Rapunzel insisted with a big smile.  
  
Varian sighed. “At _least_ let me go change into something else?”  
  
“Okay, you can change.” Rapunzel giggled as Varian high-tailed it back to the castle.  
  
“You’re not getting out of this!” Eugene called after him, laughing.  
  
\--  
  
When Varian came back to them wearing a more relaxed outfit with a maroon vest, white shirt, brown pants, and boot and gloves that better suited his alchemist profession, along with the pocket-covered belt, leather apron, backpack and goggles on his head, Brock was treated to awkward event number three: Going to the Snuggly Duckling.  
  
Now, Brock had been to pubs before. Hell, he’d been to the _Glass Sipper_ , one of the nastiest thug-filled pubs within 1000 feet of the Walls of Corona. So, he was no stranger to ruffians and thugs and could mingle with them with ease, to the point of even slipping into the crowd and cause a brawl that he then sat back and watched while sipping from the stolen drink of one of the brawlers.  
  
This place, though? This was a different kind of “scary”. From the moment they stepped in, with Eugene dramatically announcing them and ushering a nervous Varian in, was suddenly alive with the sound of joy and laughter and even Varian eased up after a bit and started to play a piano duet with Rapunzel while Eugene belted out some kind of tune while dancing on a table.  
  
This wasn’t a pub, this was a theater.  
  
“So, Eugene, care to introduce us to the charming doppleganger you brought in?” Lance asked when there was a lull in the noise.  
  
“Ah, yes!” Eugene hopped up onto the bar. “Now, you all know who I am. Eugene Fitzherbert, once known as Flynn Rider.” He started dramatically, “I found out while on a quest with Rapunzel that my _true_ name, my _true_ self, is actually Horace Lune, of the Dark Kingdom, and my _father_ is _King Edmund_!” He brought a hand to his head. “World-shattering news! Oh, how could I _process_ this?!” He declared, while Rapunzel giggled and Varian rolled his eyes with amusement. “My _whole life_ , everything I _ever_ thought I _knew_ , was a _sham_!” He knelt down in despair, then got back up. “Anyways, you all know how I’ve adjusted to that. Well, turns out there’s something _else_ to adjust to! I have a twin brother that Quirin knew about and _didn’t mention_ until now!”  
  
“Yeah, my dad is kind of holding the trophy for the Secret Keeping competition.” Varian said with a shrug.  
  
“So, I have brought him here to introduce him to you! Give it up fooooor Brock Thunderstrike!” Eugene gestured to Brock, who ran his hands through his hair and gave a cocky grin.  
  
“Hey.” He did finger-guns.  
  
“He’s been taking on the Flynn Rider persona, which is why he’s wearing my old clothes.” Eugene went on.  
  
“And speaking of clothes!” Rapunzel hopped up and ran over to join him. “You may have noticed that Eugene has some new ones? Give it up for our new Captain of the Guard!”   
  
“Yeeeah!” The thugs all cheered.  
  
“And I’m not the _only_ one with a new job.” Eugene grinned. “Varian, come over here!”  
  
Varian looked like a deer in headlights. “Uh, no, I’m not getting on the counter with you.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “Well, we won’t force you. As you all probably know, word travels fast in Corona, Nigel has been hurt by one of Cassandra’s new friends. And so, until we can wake him up, my father has asked Varian to resume his duties at the Royal Advisor!”  
  
“And, _this_ time, I won’t be doing anything, uh, mean and underhanded and…you know, no mines or…yeah.” Varian cleared his throat.  
  
“Well, aside from _that_ , you did a _great_ job before, so whoo!” One of the other thugs said as they all clapped again.  
  
Then the revelry started up again, and this time Brock found himself being dragged into it, since he didn’t have the excuse of being too busy playing the piano to dance.   
  
It all came to a sudden halt when the door burst open and a man came in, wounded.  
  
“Dwayne!” Rapunzel ran to his side as Varian got up and ran to join him. “Dwayne, what happened to you?!”  
  
“The…” He coughed, holding his side. Eugene and Lance came over with a first-aid kit and Lance got straight to work. “Wait, wait. I…I need to…The Baron. He came to Old Corona…he’s got the girls.”  
  
“What?” Eugene paled.  
  
“He…he wants The Alchemist t’ meet wi’ him.” He looked at Varian. “He’s…very insistent.”  
  
Varian’s expression darkened into something that looked more like what the Wanted posters portrayed. “Where?” He demanded.  
  
\--  
  
The meeting place was a cave not too far from Old Corona. Brock had been pulled along for the ride as they went to go see The Baron and, frankly, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to go. From what he knew of The Baron, he was a terrifying crime lord that had been felled by a bite from his own spider at his daughter’s wedding in Vardaros and since fallen off the map.   
  
Apparently, he had somehow survived and was now in Corona.   
  
And didn’t have some kind of _grudge_ against Brock’s long-lost twin brother?  
  
Oh, he was wishing he’d changed clothes.  
  
\--  
  
Varian led the way into the cave, then stopped when they passed through what was actually a _tunnel and_ looked around at the destroyed ruins of a _castle_. “… _This_ must be where Saporia Castle once stood.” He said grimly.   
  
“I mean…technically, _parts_ of it _are_ still standing?” Lance said awkwardly, having insisted on going when he heard Kiera and Catalina were in trouble.  
  
Rapunzel let down her hair and they made their way down, then approached a large hole. Varian narrowed his eyes as he saw Kiera and Catalina tied to a pole, the latter unconscious.  
  
Eugene looked at Varian. “Okay, so when dealing with the Baron, you have to be careful and smart. He’s conniving, and will—”  
  
“Rapunzel, let me down there.” Varian said, and she nodded and lowered her hair for him to climb down.  
  
“Varian, we need a plan of ac—”  
  
“I don’t need backup.” Varian replied as he climbed down. “You’ll only make things worse. Stay out of sight.”   
  
He stepped down and Rapunzel pulled her hair back up before they anxiously watched as Varian went to the pole.  
  
“Nngh…V?” Keira looked up at him.  
  
He gasped and placed his hand on her cheek. “…He _hurt_ you.”  
  
“Ah…I wouldn’t shut up.” Keira shrugged. “Said that he’d be in trouble…that he should give us back if he knows what’s good for him…”  
  
Ruddiger growled around Kiera’s shoulders and Varian reached into his belt to pull out his dagger and cut them free.   
  
“Well, now, why so quick to leave the party?”  
  
Varian closed his eyes and focused his breathing to keep himself calm before he turned to see the man stepping out of the shadows.  
  
He was _huge_ , bigger than Lance. Varian kept his expression neutral and willed himself to be calm; he’d gotten pretty good at that, provided he wasn’t on _truth serum_. “You must be The Baron.” He said calmly. “I’m told you have business with me?”  
  
He stepped to the side and The Baron’s gaze followed. He moved further and further away from the pole as he kept talking. “If you wanted my help, you only needed to ask. I know that being a crime lord has pretty much been your _life_ , but not _everything_ requires _threats_ to get them done.”  
  
Rapunzel let down her hair behind The Baron’s back and Eugene climbed down to pick up Catalina while Kiera climbed up. “I’m guess, based on what I’ve heard about you, you want an antidote to the spider bite.” Varian went on, keeping him distracted.   
  
“Yes. It’s only because I’ve made myself immune to so many poisons that I’ve last this long, but I won’t last for much longer. And my daughter has left me, she’s _disgusted_ with my appearance!” He reached out his hand to Varian and he took two slow steps back to move out of his reach. “So, can you help me, or not?”  
  
Varian chuckled. “What’s in it for _me_?”  
  
“What?! See, _this_ is why I need hos—” He looked back and saw Kiera and Catalina were gone. “Where did they go?!” He started to run over but was engulfed in a pink smoke.  
  
“See, Baron,” Varian walked over to stand in front of him as he struggled with the goo around his legs, “I don’t take well to be being threatened. I take even _less_ to people I _care_ about being threatened. So, why don’t you give me _one_ good reason not to let you die or, better yet, end your life _myself_ , right now.” He reached into his backpack and held out a vial, keeping the label turned towards himself so The Baron wouldn’t know it was just mood potion, “see, as an alchemist, I have the ability to make all _kinds_ of things. Antidotes, truth serums, poisons…and that goop that will hold you there for thirteen hours until I release you.” He grinned and reached up to stroke Ruddiger’s fur. “So, let me ask you again, what’s in it for me? Why should I save your life, when you can’t even ask me for help properly?”  
  
“Gh…” He clenched his fists. “I have…connections. Information. People at my command.”  
  
“If you have people at your command, where are they now?” Varian gestured around them. “Why are you living in the ruins of an old castle?”  
  
“Kch…” He looked down at him.  
  
“Face it; you have _nothing_. Everyone turned their backs on you the moment they realized that you can be weakened. Your reign of terror made it so people were only with you because of _fear_ , and when your infallibility and invincibility failed, so too did their loyalty.”  
  
“You can’t let me die…” The man said shakily.  
  
“You _hurt_ Kiera.” Varian growled, his eyes narrowing. “You came into my hometown, you took my friends, and you _hurt_ Kiera. And I’m guessing she wasn’t the only one, since Dwayne is in pain, too. Who else did you hurt to get to me, when a simple ‘Would you please help me, Great Alchemist’ would have sufficed?”  
  
He walked away from him. “Stay there until the goo breaks. Once you’re free, then you can try again.”  
  
“Once I’m free, I’m going to _force_ you to help me.” He growled. “Even if I have to wring your _neck_ to do it!”  
  
Varian turned to him and then pulled out a sickly-greenish-yellow ball. “Rapunzel, let down your hair.”  
  
Rapunzel lowered her hair and Varian grabbed onto it so she could pull him up. Then he tossed the ball at The Baron before he got too high up and then climbed up quickly as they heard glass breaking, followed by The Baron screaming in agony.  
  
“Varian, are you okay?” Rapunzel asked as she pulled him into her arms when he got back up.  
  
“Yeah, heh, just…” He cleared his throat. “Just, uh, don’t look down. Let’s go.”  
  
Eugene looked back at the hole and pulled Varian close to him after he got up. “Did you…you know?”  
  
“No, he…he should survive it by itself. But, between the bite and that? …He won’t last the night.”  
  
Eugene nodded and sighed. “It’s…it’s better this way.” He patted his shoulder.  
  
“That…was…so… _cool_.” Brock breathed. “How could you be so _calm_ faced up against _that_?! And, wow, the speech, and the…wow!”  
  
“Oh, wow, he’s gushing.” Eugene chuckled. “Reminds me of when _we_ first met.”   
  
“Well, when you face Corona’s entire army, you learn to be cool under pressure.” Varian said, then gasped and ran to Catalina, who was waking up in Lance’s arms.  
  
“Mmn…V?” She blinked up at him.  
  
“Hey, Cat.” He smiled and gently scritched at her hair. “You doing okay?”  
  
“The Baron, he…” She swallowed nervously. “I was too scared to-to change…”  
  
“It’s okay.” Kiera walked over and hugged Varian. “V beat the bad guy for us.”  
  
“He’ll never be a problem for _anyone_ again.” Lance assured her.  
  
“Well, with that heartwarming revelation, I say it’s time we go home.” Eugene announced. “Stan, Pete, let’s head off.”  
  
“Hey, uh…” Brock cleared his throat. “You know, I…I actually haven’t talked to my…bandit family in about a year…been on my own. It…might not hurt to stay here and…get to know my… _royal_ family.”  
  
Eugene looked at him with surprise and grinned. “So, you’re giving up crime?”  
  
“Well, yeah.” He shrugged. “I mean, may as well, right? With _you_ and _The Alchemist of Old Corona_ here, keeping the peace? Besides…” He looked a bit sad. “All I’ve ever _known_ is the life of a thief. Maybe…it’ll be _nice_ to experience life as something _else_.”  
  
“Well, we’ve got plenty of empty houses in Old Corona.” Varian smiled. “Provided you’re willing to earn your keep. You know, work on the farm, or get an honest job…”  
  
“Sounds great!” Brock nodded.  
  
“Well,” Varian got up and walked over to hold out a hand. “Welcome to the family.”  
  
“Family?” Brock asked, blinking as he took his hand.  
  
“Quirin, Varian’s dad, is pretty much like a brother to our dad.” Eugene explained. “So, we’re cousins. In a way.”  
  
“In a way.” Varian nodded, shaking Brock’s stunned hand before he let go and turned to Rapunzel. “Let’s go home.”  
  
“Mmhm!” She beamed, her hands over her mouth to suppress her happy squeals.  
  
A yellow bird flew overhead, but none of them noticed.  
  
\--  
  
“So…Eugene has a brother.” Cassandra said as she stared out at Corona Castle through the window of her tower.  
  
“A twin.” Father confirmed. “And he seems to be living in Old Corona.”  
  
“Interesting.” She examined her armored hand. “Any word on if they still plan to hold the Goodwill Festival this year?”  
  
“At the moment, they’re still deciding.” Lucas replied. “Times being as they are, they want to keep morale up, but they also don’t want to let down their guards. They are also hoping that Varian’s ‘secret weapon’ will be completed by then.”  
  
“’Secret weapon’?” She looked at him.  
  
“Thanks to Mother’s and Father’s blunder,” Lucas shot them a cold look and they flinched, “they found out that someone has been watching them. They have started using code-words, and Varian intends to talk to the Saporian mages about if there is a way to detect if one of us is there.”   
  
“Well, then _that_ should have interesting results.” Zhan Tiri cooed, walking over to join Cassandra at the window. “Because one of us _is_ there…though, he has not been one of us for a _long_ , long time.”  
  
“You don’t mean…?” Sugracha frowned.  
  
“Cassandra, do you recall our conversation about the traitor?” Zhan Tiri asked calmly.  
  
Cassandra frowned thoughtfully. “Uhm…yeah, you got pissed off and cursed him.”  
  
“Yes, into an animal. Do you recall which one?” Zhan Tiri asked slyly.  
  
Cassandra crossed her arms over her chest, putting one hand on her chin. “A bird…no…a donkey…no...” She gasped and looked up. “A _raccoon._ ”  
  
Zhan Tiri smiled and walked away. “I _did_ say that it was highly likely he understood what you were saying.”  
  
Cassandra looked back at her, then towards the castle. “…’Interesting’, indeed.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brock will probably fit in just fine in Old Corona!
> 
> ((A/N: I could've had Varian cure him like I did in "Day of the Animals", but the truth is that Varian is pissed, The Baron is a creep and he died in canon so I let him die here. He doesn't need The Baron.))


	44. Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kline sets up a spell to detect Disciples in the city, with unexpected results!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

With Brock moved into a house in Old Corona, Varian returned to the castle to meet with Kline and Clementine. While he was with them, Rapunzel was sending Owl to find Vigor with a letter, in desperate hope of him having enough of his senses to come to Corona and help with them against his ancient nemesis.  
  
“There _is_ a spell for detecting a Disciple. I created it myself.” Kline said calmly. “However, I have not used it in quite some time…It will take time to prepare.”  
  
“How much time?” Varian asked.  
  
“Two days.” Kline nodded.  
  
“That’s not too bad.” Varian nodded. “In the meantime, we’ll stick to code-words and make sure that nothing important slips out of the castle walls.”  
  
Kline nodded. “How is that coming along, by the way?”  
  
Varian paused, then offered him a vial. “Drink this.”  
  
“Ah, I understand the caution.” He said, drinking the truth serum obediently.  
  
“Right. What is your name?” Varian asked.  
  
“Kline Semar Vinch, True Seer of Saporia.” He replied calmly.  
  
“Okay…” Varian started to feel around his face, tugging lightly, before he stood back, satisfied. “It should wear off in a half-hour.”  
  
“Splendid. Why have you not given this to your father?” Kline asked.  
  
“I…” Varian faltered. “I…I’m afraid of what I’ll find out. That he might actually…actually _hate_ me.”  
  
Kline sighed and reached out to pull him close, gently stroking his hair soothingly, before Varian slowly stepped back. “I do not believe he hates you, Varian. More that he is…afraid of the future, of losing you.”  
  
Varian sighed. “ _What_ is so scary?”  
  
Kline shook his head. “I promised him that I would not tell you.”  
  
Varian hesitated. He could _force_ him to. It’d just be one question…but, he couldn’t do that, not to Kline. Kline was a friend. He sighed and walked out of the room, feeling dejected.  
  
“Varian?” Kline said calmly as he left. “How is it going?”  
  
“I still have a few design issues to figure out.” Varian replied as he closed the door behind him.  
  
\--  
  
The problem with recruiting more men for the Royal Guard was that you didn’t know who to trust. Varian, at the King’s request, checked on all of the Royal Guards to make sure none of them were Lucas, even though he was pretty sure it was pointless. Lucas hadn’t been in his Royal Guard form since Varian escaped from prison all those months ago.   
  
Still, he kept an eye out, when he was working with King Frederic, and then went to his lab to work.  
  
Rapunzel, likewise, was looking for two particular birds and checking on the townsfolk to make sure no one was missing. To her relief, no one was missing, and she made posters of Mother, Father, Sugracha and Lucas to join the Cassandra one already made.  
  
“Should I include Tromus?” She asked thoughtfully as she tapped the handle of her paintbrush.  
  
“We haven’t seen any sign of him yet.” Eugene frowned. “Still, better safe than sorry.”  
  
“Yeah.” She started to paint a poster of him.  
  
“ _You_ look like you’re having fun.” Juniper walked over to look at the posters. “Quite the ensemble…you forgot Zhan Tiri herself, though.”  
  
“I-I’m getting to that.” Rapunzel blushed. “How could I forget about her.” She mumbled.  
  
Eugene grinned. “Where have you been, Juni?”  
  
“Helping Andrew with his mental training and keeping him battle-ready.” She shrugged. “I ended up battling Quirin, though, because he’s a wimp and didn’t last very long.”  
  
Eugene laughed. “How long did Quirin last?”  
  
“Oh, once I got him to fight me seriously, he kicked my butt.” Juniper shrugged. “But, wow, was that a workout. I’ll get him next time; I know how he fights now.”  
  
“Well, feel like helping me whip the Royal Guard into shape?” Eugene asked, turning to her.  
  
“You _bet_ I am.” She grinned.  
  
“Have fun!” Rapunzel called as Eugene kissed her temple before heading out with Juniper. “I hope we’ll be ready…when is this eclipse?” She gasped. “I should ask Clementine or Kline! I bet they would know!” She focused on her painting, her brow furrowed as she recalled the _last time_ she’d seen Tromus.  
  
Pascal nuzzled her cheek and let out a concerned squeak and she smiled. “It’s gonna be okay, Pascal. We’ll get through this, like everything.” She finished and then hung the poster up to dry before stepping back to look at the posters. “…It’s gonna work out.”  
  
She nodded and walked over to sit down at her easel and start painting Zhan Tiri. “I just hope he can come back and help us…” She said quietly.  
  
\--  
  
Two tense days came and went, with people being unsure who to trust, with shapeshifting enemies and a cloak that could disguise you. Kline finally told Varian that he was finished preparing the spell and they gathered in the throne room.  
  
“Now, this will _not_ be able to detect the cloak, only if Zhan Tiri or any of her Disciples enters the city.” He reminded them. “So, code words _may_ still need to be used.”  
  
“Understood.” King Frederic nodded.  
  
“Alright.” Kline nodded. “Now, as soon as I cast it, any Disciple in the city _should_ become paralyzed and reveal themselves.”  
  
“Don’t leave us in suspense, man!” Eugene said encouragingly.  
  
Kline nodded and then started to mutter to himself, his hands clasped. His body started to glow rainbow colors, one after the other, before he glowed white and then threw his arms out to the sides, a rainbow wave of energy coming out of his body and washing over the area and spreading out to the city limits.  
  
Lucas, it appeared, was not in the castle right now. Or, at least, not the throne room. However, they _did_ suddenly get treated to Ruddiger having a seizure and falling off of Varian’s shoulders.  
  
“Ruddiger?!” He knelt next to him, then gasped when he realized his eyes were glowing green and his trembling little body was pulsating a strange image.  
  
“Oh my.” Kline walked over and knelt next to him as Varian looked up at him anxiously. “Oh, I did not count on _this_ happening. Here, let me help you, little one.” He placed his hand on Ruddiger’s back and focused, a rainbow wave coming out of his hand and waving over Ruddiger’s body. The pulsating stopped, and then he pulled the raccoon into his arms and gently touched his forehead.  
  
Ruddiger’s body glowed white before he started to change shape. Everyone but Varian backed up a bit in surprise as the raccoon changed into a young human man dressed like an alchemist with a set of raccoon ears and a long, fluffy raccoon tail.  
  
“Uhh…. _what_ just happened?” Eugene asked warily after the silence had stretched on too long for his liking.  
  
“Well…” Kline sighed, stroking the young man’s hair as he laid in his arms, “There was a traitor among the Disciples of Zhan Tiri, one who betrayed her shortly before the attack on Corona. She cursed him and he disappeared forever. Or, so I thought…” He hummed a bit. “It seems that even my keen Sight was unable to detect you until the magic exposed you, little one.”  
  
“So…what does that mean?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“It means that you _have_ a Disciple here in the city, but he is an _ally_.” Kline said calmly. “I will attempt to make it so that the spell does not detect him, but it will take some time. In the meantime—”  
  
“Wh- _Why_ isn’t he waking up?” Varian asked anxiously.  
  
“He is paralyzed, Varian.” Kline reminded him. “I need to fully remove the effects of the spell from his body. As for his cursed form, I cannot remove it myself, only stave it off temporarily for a day at most. And, even then, I can only remove it _this_ much.” He nodded to the tail, which Varian was gently stroking.  
  
“So…just to get this straight,” Eugene walked over and knelt in front of the paralyzed raccoon-man. “Ruddiger was once _human_?”  
  
“Yes, a long, long time ago.” Kline nodded. “However, I do not know his name. Perhaps _he_ can tell us once he is awake.” He slowly stood up, lifting the young man in his arms as he did. “I will take him to the medical room. Clementine, come.”  
  
“I’m going too.” Varian stood up. “Uhm, that is, if it’s okay?” He looked at King Frederic, who nodded, then hurried out after the two mages.  
  
“So…” Eugene got up, watching as the door closed behind Varian. “…Ruddiger isn’t _actually_ a raccoon?”  
  
“Apparently not.” Andrew shrugged.  
  
“I had no idea.” Rapunzel said softly. “I mean, I knew he was unusually _smart_ for a raccoon, but…”  
  
“Well, at least we know the spell works.” Queen Arianna chimed in.  
  
“That’s true.” Juniper nodded.  
  
“Still…wow.” Rapunzel looked thoughtful. “…I wonder if he knew this whole time that he wasn’t human?”  
  
\--  
  
Varian sat by Ruddiger’s bedside, holding his hand while Kline and Clementine worked their magic on the other side of the bed. As with all curses, it was easier to apply than to remove, and they not only had to remove the effects from him, but modify the spell so it didn’t detect him beforehand, or else he’d be affected again right after being woken up from it.  
  
The young man was dressed in a gray shirt and pants, with black boots, gloves, alchemist apron and even had black goggles over his eyes. Varian gently pushed them up onto his head and sighed, looking at his face without the “raccoon mask”.   
  
He looked to be in his twenties, somewhere around Juniper’s age, and his eyes were closed in forced sleep. His hair was wild, short and gray, like his fur when he was a raccoon, and his little raccoon ears poked out of the top of his head and twitched slightly when he reached up to touch them.  
  
This was kind of surreal. He’d heard of werewolf curses and people being turned into birds by dark-magic tea, but he never _once_ considered the possibility that Ruddiger might actually be a cursed human from a time long ago. He realized with a start that his raccoon must be very, very, very old and quite possibly _immortal_ to have lived as long as he did, to be from Demantius’ time and then to be by Varian’s side.  
  
“…Do you recognize him?” He asked, looking at Kline.  
  
Kline sighed. “I did not spend any time with Demanitus or Zhan Tiri after I was…forced out of the research team. After I left, taking my own work with me out of spite, they started to take in students. From what I understand, they had many students, enough that when it comes to battle, they both had quite the large force on either side. All of Zhan Tiri’s were sealed away and Demantius’ – the ones that survived – went on to live their lives.”  
  
“So…you don’t know him?” Varian asked, looking back at his paralyzed friend.  
  
Kline sighed. “Well, no…” He paused. “But, he _does_ look familiar…I believe I saw a picture of him in Gothel’s old things, in your lab.”  
  
Varian looked up with a start. “What?”  
  
“Well, it was not colored, so it’s hard to say, but he looks similar to a picture I saw there.” Kline nodded. “You could go check for yourself, if you’d like. I will inform you when he wakes up.”  
  
Varian looked at his hand, still holding Ruddiger’s. “…I’ll be back, buddy.” He said softly, reluctantly letting go of his hand and getting up. “Where did you see it?”  
  
“Tucked into the blue and gold book with the silver writing on the front.” Kline replied.  
  
Varian nodded and hurried off to his lab.  
  
He got to the lab door and pushed it open before he ran to the desk with Gothel’s things piled on or around it, and picked up the book in question from the top of the pile on the desk. “This one?” He said to himself as he opened it. He turned several pages of the journal until he found the picture, an old sketch of what definitely looked like who was in the medical room right now, minus the ears and tail. He had a cheeky grin on his face and a light in his eyes and on the page next to it was a journal entry.  
  
[ _Of all of my colleagues, I miss Regulus the most. As Demanitus’ student and later one of Zhan Tiri’s Disciples, he was a rare light in the darkness of this world. He was so young when he joined us, so pure-hearted and sweet. It was painful, watching him morph from that sweet, caring boy to a cold, ruthless, sassy young man, all because of a broken promise.  
  
I learned very quickly, between Regulus and Zhan Tiri, you must never break your promises. I will follow that rule to my grave._] _  
_  
Varian sighed. “That would be why she drilled it into me and Rapunzel…” He murmured, closing the book. “I better get back.”  
  
“Hey, kid.”  
  
He looked up to see Eugene in the doorway. “Heard, uhm, Kline said you were here. You wanna…talk at all?”  
  
“About?” Varian asked.  
  
“Well, uh, if Maximus or Pascal turned out to be a cursed human that had been alive for…centuries, I’d be pretty freaked out right now.” Eugene walked over and leaned on the desk next to him. “So, if you need to talk about it at all…”  
  
“I think a part of me had always suspected there was something special about him. He was much more loyal than any raccoon would ever be, he was incredibly smart and really helpful with alchemy, and he took care of me when no one else was there to.” Varian sighed. “So…I’m not _too_ freaked out, mostly…mostly _worried_.” He opened the book and turned it to the picture. “I’m _pretty_ sure he’s Regulus, the one that Gothel was really close to.”  
  
“Huh. He _kind_ of looks like _you_.” Eugene said thoughtfully, looking between him and the black and white picture.  
  
“Yeah.” Varian nodded. “But, I don’t think we’re any relation, he’s been cursed for centuries and it doesn’t say anything about him having any children.”  
  
“Well, why don’t we go _ask_ him?” Eugene said casually. “He’s awake, by the way.”  
  
“What?!” Varian whopped him in the arm with the book and got up, heading for the door. “ _Lead_ with that next time, geez!”  
  
Eugene laughed and followed him out.  
  
\--  
  
The young man stared ahead of him with wide, blue eyes, his gloved hands clutching at his apron nervously. He jolted when the door burst open and then he was seeing Varian, _his_ Varian, running towards him and launching himself onto the bed to throw his arms around him.  
  
“Ruddiger, you’re okay!”  
  
He smiled and wrapped his arms around the teenager, nodding. Varian pulled back to look him over. “So, uhm, you’re okay, right?” Varian asked anxiously.  
  
He nodded, smiling. Varian looked relieved. “Okay, so…uhm…” He pulled out a book and opened it to a picture. “Is this you?”  
  
He tilted his head thoughtfully, looking at the picture, then picked it up and held it closer. Yes, he knew this picture. He knew the artist, though it was so very, _very_ old. He handed back the book and nodded.  
  
Eugene walked closer to him. “Do you remember your time with Zhan Tiri at all?”  
  
The young man – Ruddiger? Regulus? What should he refer to himself as? – looked at him and nodded, then looked regretful, glancing away. Eugene sat on the edge of his bed and sighed. “I know that you might not want to think about it…but, we need some kind of lead of how to beat them. Do you have anything for us, buddy?”  
  
The young man, who still hadn’t decided what to refer to himself as now that he was…a raccoon-man, looked thoughtful before he held up a hand and started to speak.  
  
Well, tried to. All that came out was a raspy squeak that might’ve resembled a word. He blushed and closed his mouth, embarrassed.  
  
“You have been a raccoon for a long time.” Kline said gently, walking over to them with some kind of medicine. “Your human throat is probably sore from disuse. Let’s focus on your body healing before you try talking, hm?”  
  
Ruddiger – because that was the name he decided he was going to go by, since it was connected to his new life and new friends – nodded and accepted the medicine before taking a sip, making a face briefly, and then finishing up the dosage before handing it back, still making a face. Judging by Eugene’s and Varian’s laughter, such sweet music to his furry ears, it was an amusing expression.  
  
He handed back the empty bowl and then pulled Varian close to him, earning a yelp of surprise, earning more laughter from Eugene.  
  
“Geez…” Varian blushed a bit, “I know that _I’m_ always holding _you_ , but at least give me some _warning_.”  
  
Eugene chuckled a bit more, then cleared his throat. “So, uh…think you can write?”  
  
“Eugene, he’s only been human again for a few hours.” Varian frowned. “Give him a bit of time to adjust.”  
  
“Right, sorry. Sorry.” Eugene got up, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.  
  
“The spell will not detect him now, and we have now seen what will happen to any other Disciple that dares to set foot in the city.” Kline assured them. “We can rest at ease, mostly. We still have to be wary of that cloak, of course, and stick to code words.”  
  
“On that note, I’ve thought of what to call the weapon.” Varian looked at Eugene. “Project Obsidian.”  
  
“Why that?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Because it only affects the black rocks.” Varian looked at Ruddiger. “Do you feel up to helping me in the lab? I bet we’ll get a _lot_ more done now that you’re human.”  
  
“ _Now_ who’s rushing him?” Eugene chuckled. “We don’t know if the guy can even _walk_ properly yet.”  
  
Ruddiger’s ears folded back and he looked over the side of the bed at the floor, which suddenly looked a lot more intimidating now that he was bigger and more likely to crack his head open if he fell.  
  
Still, he _refused_ to be in Varian’s way! He shifted one leg, then the other, then gave Varian a pointed look before shaking both of them until he laughed and got off his lap.  
  
“Hey, _you_ put me there.” Varian reminded him as Ruddiger pushed the blanket back and slowly moved one leg down to rest on the ground, then the other.  
  
“Are we gonna have to do this all over again tomorrow?” Varian asked, looking at Kline.  
  
“Tomorrow?” Kline asked with a smile.  
  
“W-Well, I mean, if he _wants_ you to make him human again.” Varian looked back at Ruddiger, who was pushing himself up off the bed.   
  
Eugene offered his arm for him to grab if he needed it and Ruddiger did so, his legs trembling. Yes, he’d stood and walked on two legs _many times_ as a raccoon, but raccoon legs were thicker and shorter and differently-shaped and _these_ were like trying to walk on little, thin tree-trunks. His tail brushed against the bed as he tightened his grip on Eugene’s arm, his expression determined.  
  
“You don’t have to push yourself, you know.” Eugene said as Ruddiger took a shaky step forward. “I swear, kid, he’s as bad as _you_ are.”  
  
Varian moved to Ruddiger’s other side. “Are you okay?”  
  
Ruddiger nodded, then slowly took another step, then another, Eugene walking with him to the door and then back to the bed. Then he helped him sit back down and Ruddiger let out an annoyed and pained groan.  
  
“Well, _of course_ , it won’t come back to you right away.” Clementine said in a scolding tone as she went to check on his legs with the castle doctor. “It’s by sheer stubbornness _alone_ that you managed as much as you _did_!”  
  
Ruddiger rolled his eyes and made a “blah blah blah” motion with his hand. A swat on his leg made him yelp and he pulled the offended leg up to his chest, glaring down at the older woman.  
  
“I’ll go let Rapunzel know he’s awake.” Eugene smiled and left them alone, closing the door behind him.  
  
Varian sat next to Ruddiger on the bed and sighed. “Wow…” He smiled at him. “I still can’t believe that you’re actually Gothel’s Regulus. She was really fond of you.” He opened the book to the picture again. “I wonder if you’re the ‘old friend’ she said I reminded her of? Or maybe Demanitus?”  
  
Ruddiger shrugged. Knowing the woman, it was probably both. He gasped as Varian laid his head on his shoulder, then smiled and reached up to stroke his hair, a parody of Varian’s usual thing of stroking his fur as he rested on his shoulders.  
  
“Hey,” Varian looked up at him, “why did you choose _me_? Why wouldn’t you leave when I kept sending you away?”  
  
Ruddiger blinked at him, then smiled sadly and moved his hand, doing the sign for “lonely” before he held Varian closer to him.  
  
“Oh…” Varian sighed softly, “you sensed that I was lonely and decided to keep me company?”  
  
Ruddiger nodded, then his expression turned hard before he did the sign for “father”, “hurt” and “you”.  
  
Varian shook his head. “He didn’t _hurt_ me, he just—” He paused when Ruddiger tapped his chest, over his heart, and gave him a pointed look. ”Oh…emotionally, you mean.” Ruddiger nodded. “Yeah, I guess…I guess he does that.” He sighed and looked down.  
  
Ruddiger nodded, then did the sign for “secret”. Varian nodded and leaned his head into the raccoon-man’s shoulder with a sad little sigh.  
  
“Guess it’s a good thing I taught you that sign language, eh, buddy?” He said softly, smiling up at him. Ruddiger nodded with a smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now they have a Disciple on their side.   
> Or rather, they've...ALWAYS had one on their side?
> 
> ((A/N: I decided to not have him magically be able to walk and talk with ease like in "Day of the Animals" because that was really kind of unrealistic and ideal-world-y, so Ruddiger's gonna be doing sign language for a little while and having trouble walking.))


	45. Preparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the eclipse on the way, there's a lot to do!  
> But maybe we can slip a little Goodwill in there?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

After the initial shock of Ruddiger actually being a cursed human wore off, they went back to focusing on the battle ahead. Varian and Ruddiger worked in the lab together with Eugene supervising them, and when Varian had to do his Royal Advisor duties, Ruddiger worked on his own. Sometimes Eugene was replaced with Maximus, who was still adjusting to the fact that his apple-stealing raccoon nemesis had actually been a cursed human this whole time.  
  
Rapunzel finished painting a picture of Ruddiger and Varian, then sighed as she sat back. The Goodwill Festival was coming up and she didn’t know for sure if they’d be having it. She only hoped that they would be able to have the much-needed morale boost. Everyone was afraid, going to Xavier for any legends on Zhan Tiri they could find, while Varian and Eugene consulted Gothel’s books.  
  
Unfortunately, neither Ruddiger nor Gothel had any advice on how to defeat the demon. Therefore, Varian focused on Cassandra and, when he had free time, he read Demanitus’ journals.  
  
To make things easier, because his voice didn’t seem to be recovering any time soon, everyone that was required to interact with Ruddiger had learned sign language, though some of them already knew it. He seemed to appreciate it.  
  
\--  
  
The morning before the Goodwill Festival, or when it was _supposed_ to be, was quiet. Well, aside from right next to Varian’s home in Old Corona, where a group of black rocks were being used as a test subject for his latest invention.  
  
He had also set up dummies and targets of Cassandra and her various allies along the black rocks. With how wildly she used it, he suspected that it wouldn’t be hard to catch any of them in the crossfire.  
  
Eugene, Ruddiger and Varian were propped up behind a haystack as Varian aimed his invention at the black rocks and pulled the trigger. They were engulfed in a yellow-orange smoke and turned into amber instantly. A few more shots and most of the black rocks and targets had been changed into or engulfed in amber.  
  
“Alright, Team Awesome!” Varian said as they three of them stood up and pulled up their matching goggles. “Project Obsidian is a _success_!”  
  
“Project Obsidian?” Rapunzel asked, walking over to them with Andrew and Juniper.  
  
“Project Obsidian.” Varian nodded. “It’s what I’m calling my secret weapon against the black rocks and Cassandra.”  
  
“O-Oh, right. That.” Rapunzel walked closer to them. “But, you’re planning to use this…on Cass?”  
  
Ruddiger reached for the weapon and Varian handed it over so he could run off and start shooting at more targets while Eugene spoke. “That _is_ the plan, yes, but it’s a last-resort. We have to be prepared to make necessary action.”  
  
“No matter how much we may not want to hurt Cassandra, the likelihood that she and Zhan Tiri might attack us is horribly high.” Varian said grimly as they heard Ruddiger laughing when he encased a target with Zhan Tiri’s face on it.  
  
“But, we won’t use it without your approval.” Eugene pulled out a scroll and quill as Varian pulled out an ink bottle and opened it for her.  
  
Rapunzel looked unsure. “I…I don’t…”  
  
“It’s up to you, Raps.” Juniper said gently.  
  
“But, whether we have this weapon ready or not, she _will_ be coming when the eclipse comes.” Andrew said grimly. “And _that_ , according to Kline, is due in two days.”  
  
She looked at Ruddiger, who was firing off the weapon again, then nodded and took the quill and dipped it into the ink bottle before writing her signature at the bottom. Then she put the quill back into the bottle and stepped back with a shuddering sigh.  
  
“Believe me, Sunshine, _we’re_ hoping we won’t have to use it, too.” Eugene said gently.  
  
“Despite everything, some part of me still wants to believe she’s just being manipulated.” Varian admitted. “That she’s only doing all of this because the demon manipulated her. Ruddiger was talked into a lot of horrible things when he was working with her.”  
  
Ruddiger looked over, his ear twitching when he heard his name, and ran over to join them, handing the weapon back to Varian. “Isn’t that right, Ruddiger?” Varian looked at her. “Tell her what kind of horrible things Zhan Tiri made you do.”  
  
Ruddiger hesitated, looking unsure, then did the sign for “puppet” and then a sad, apologetic smile as he signed “destroy” and then started to spell out with letters the name of something that Rapunzel was having trouble understanding.  
  
“Uhm, I don’t quite understand.” Rapunzel admitted.  
  
“…Saporia.” Andrew said softly. “…She made you help destroy Saporia.”  
  
He nodded sadly, his ears and tail drooping, and signed “necessary” and “research” then “sun" and finally “flower”.  
  
“I don’t fault you for it.” Andrew assured him. “You were manipulated, it’s understandable. What’s important is that you’ve proven to be a good person since then.”  
  
Ruddiger made a face and then signed “rich” and “brat”, “curse” and then “humble” before shrugging. Varian laughed.  
  
Eugene cleared his throat. “Well, we should get back to the Capital to make sure the Royal Guard is preparing for any, uh, attack.”  
  
“Oh, right!” Rapunzel said, as if she had forgotten about the upcoming danger. “Let’s, uhm…let’s go back together, then. Safety in numbers, since we have to pass by the…the tower.”  
  
They all nodded in agreement and went to get on their horses, Ruddiger climbing on behind Varian on his before they rode off.  
  
Quirin watched them go from the window of his manor, his eyes flashing blue briefly before they returned to normal.  
  
\--  
  
“Dad!” Eugene said with surprise as they saw him at the castle courtyard.  
  
“Horace!” He turned to him with a smile. “I wanted to surprise you! Look who else is here!” He gestured to the aide, where Hector and Adira were, apparently, talking to Brock. “Apparently, I have another son I forgot about?”  
  
“Yeah, Quirin confirmed that. Wait, did he send you a letter?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Yes, we got it on the way. I have two sons! Wow!” He looked at Hamuel. “And here I’m still adjusting to the _one_.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “We’re happy to see you, Your Majesty.”  
  
Varian looked over at Adira and Hector and Eugene grinned and got off of Maximus. “C’mon, kid, let’s go introduce you.”  
  
Varian climbed off his horse, Ruddiger doing the same, and they headed over to join Brock, who was looking very intimidated.  
  
“Oh, hey, Eugene!” Brock greeted. “And Varian! Hi! Apparently these two are part of our family, too?”  
  
“Fishskin, you have a brother?” Adira asked, looking at him.  
  
“I’m guessing Quirin is the only one who bothered to remember my dad had two sons.” Eugene raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Pretty much.” Hector shrugged.  
  
“Well, you’re about to meet _another_ member of the family.” Eugene pulled Varian forward. “This is Varian, Quirin’s son!”  
  
“Oh!” Adira’s eyes lit up. “I’ve heard of you! You’re an impressive alchemist.”  
  
Varian blushed. “Uhm, thanks.”  
  
“Heh, you got your dad’s temper, though.” Hector teased him. “And who’s this guy?” He pointed to Ruddiger.  
  
“Oh, this, uh, well this is Ruddiger. He’s normally a raccoon, except he…uhm…isn’t at the same time?” Varian looked confused on how to explain it.  
  
Eugene stepped in. “This is Ruddiger, he’s a human that was cursed into the form of a raccoon that became Varian’s pet after surviving centuries on his own. He got cursed by Zhan Tiri because he betrayed her, cause apparently that woman doesn’t take rejection well. Also, Zhan Tiri is a woman! What!”  
  
“Yeah, I don’t know anything about any of this.” Brock said nervously.  
  
Adira smiled and reached out to rub Ruddiger’s head, earning an awkward purring sound in reply. “Well, he seems nice enough.” She looked at Varian. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”  
  
Varian nodded.  
  
“Captain!” Stan ran over to them. “Captain, the King wants to call for everyone to come into the Castle Courtyard for an announcement.”  
  
“Alright.” Eugene nodded, then headed off with him.  
  
“I better go.” Varian nodded. “We’ll have to talk more later!” He hurried off to join the King.  
  
“He’s the Royal Advisor.” Brock explained.  
  
Ruddiger looked around, then ran to Varian’s horse to grab the weapon before heading off to their lab with it.  
  
“Hey, has anyone seen Faith?” Rapunzel asked, looking around.  
  
\--  
  
“U-Uhm…flowers…not weeds…” Faith looked at a botany book that Varian had given her to help her with picking flowers. “These are weeds…” She walked over to the side, then knelt down. “Ah, flowers!”  
  
“ _Pardonnez-moi, petite fille_.”  
  
She blinked and looked over her shoulder, letting out a gasp as she saw one of the Disciples she’d seen on the pictures Princess Rapunzel had put up. She started to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth from behind.  
  
“Now, now, let’s not have any of _that_.” A voice said as a man pulled her to her feet, his hand still over her mouth. “You should feel _honored_ , you’re going to be a part of Corona’s _history_!”  
  
“Shall we go?” The man in front of her said, and Faith whimpered as she was forced to walk, her basket abandoned on the ground.  
  
She was taken by the strange men to the black tower and forced to walk up spiral steps that made her dizzy. She realized that this must be the same place Varian had been taken to, by description, and felt fearful for her life.  
  
She was brought up to a throne room and walked towards a crowd of people. On the throne itself was a beautiful woman with long, flowing blue hair, wearing black, white and blue armor.  
  
Her old mentor, Cassandra, pulled into the darkness like Varian was. She recalled what he'd told her about his visit here and nervously glanced at the sword on the woman’s back, the hilt poking up over her shoulder.  
  
Standing on either side of her throne were the cultists, with Zhan Tiri herself sitting on the arm of the throne looking like an innocent child no older than eight years old, though her malicious smile and large, inhuman eyes revealed that she was no child.  
  
She was pushed forward and gasped as she fell to her hands and knees before the throne. Trembling, she remained there as she heard the sound of heels on stone and then she was seeing boots in front of her before the person knelt in front of her and then two fingers tilted her chin up to force her to look up at the woman before her.  
  
“Hello, Faith.” She cooed. “You’ve grown up nicely, haven’t you? Grown up and made a friend, I’m so proud of you.” She used her other hand to brush through Faith’s bangs, her other hand still keeping Faith’s gaze on her. “I need you to stay here for a little while, okay? Once I’m done with what I’m going to do, I’ll come and get you.”  
  
“W-Why?” She asked shakily.  
  
“Because I need to use your form.” She giggled a bit in an eerie way. “You made friends with Varian _and_ secured a job as Lady-in-Waiting to the Princess, you’re the _best_ form I need for what I want to do!”  
  
Faith gasped and jerked back away from her, scrambling backwards until she bumped into one of the men that brought her here.  
  
“Relax,” Cassandra got up and walked over to a table, picking up a cloak and draping it over her shoulders. “All _you_ need to do is stay here, so you don’t blow my cover.” She pulled up the hood and Faith yelped as she took on Faith’s exact appearance. She then walked over and cupped Faith’s cheek in her hand. “Got it? Lucas will make sure you’re taken care of.” She smiled up at him. “He’s _very_ good at guarding people.”  
  
“L-Lucas?” She looked up at the man, realizing who it was that had been holding her. “O-Oh…”  
  
Cassandra patted her head, then headed for the exit. “Be good now, little one! I’ll be back later!” She grinned. “When Corona is _ours_.”  
  
The Disciples all laughed as Cassandra left and Faith whimpered, curling up in terror.  
  
\--  
  
While things were still ambiguous, people were setting up for the Goodwill Festival. They put it all off, though, to come to the Castle Courtyard. Varian had changed into his formal Royal Advisor clothes and now stood with Rapunzel, Eugene, King Frederic, Queen Arianna, and some of the Royal Guard for this announcement.  
  
“People of Corona,” King Frederic said, his expression grim, “I regret to inform you that, in light of recent events, I have decided to exercise caution and cancel the Goodwill Festival this year.”  
  
The crowd started to murmur in discontent and Rapunzel stepped forward. “Unless anyone has any objections?”  
  
King Frederic sighed. “Rapunzel, we talked about this.”  
  
“We agreed that it was too _risky_ with Cassandra’s attack due at any time.” Varian added quietly.  
  
“I know, but I still think we should let the people decide on this. After all, we don’t need a riot before the attack, right? The eclipse is in two days, let them have _one_ more day of fun before we evacuate everyone.” Rapunzel reasoned.  
  
Varian looked at King Frederic, who sighed. “Very well.”  
  
Rapunzel looked out at the crowd. “If the Goodwill Festival is important to you, speak now or forever hold your peace!”  
  
“I’m with you, Princess!” Faith called from the crowd, and Rapunzel felt relief at seeing her. She had been wondering where she’d disappeared to!  
  
Faith noticed people looking at her and lowered her raised hand before she shyly put her hands behind her back, smiling sheepishly.  
  
“Faith. Really?” She looked at Varian. “She didn’t seem the ‘crowds’ type.”  
  
“Whoa, talk about coming out of her shell!” ‘Eugene remarked.  
  
Varian’s eyes narrowed slightly and Rapunzel looked forward as Faith went on. “Look, we don’t _always_ have control over what happens to us, but we _can_ choose how we _respond_ to it, _right_?” She looked around at the people with her. “So, when tough times come to Corona, Corona fights back by doubling its good cheer! That’s why we’re going to make this the _greatest_ Goodwill Festival _ever_!”  
  
Everyone cheered around her and King Frederic sighed. “Well, it looks like the Goodwill Festival is happening after all.”  
  
\--  
  
That night, Rapunzel sat on her balcony while Faith made her bed. “We were worried about you today.” She said, looking at her. “You disappeared for hours.”  
  
“I got lost while picking flowers, and then I had to run from a wolf and lost my basket.” Faith replied. “I am sorry for worrying you, Your Highness.”  
  
“Faith, what have I said?” Rapunzel smiled fondly. “It’s okay to call me ‘Rapunzel’.”  
  
“I’m still getting used to it.” She admitted, then walked over to get Rapunzel’s nightgown as the young woman came in and shut the balcony doors. “You, uh…don’t think I was too bold? Earlier?”  
  
“Well, it was certainly a surprise! But, it got the Goodwill Spirit raring to go for tomorrow, so it’s all good.” Rapunzel smiled brightly at her.  
  
“Oh, g-good.” Faith walked over and untied the back of Rapunzel’s dress. “Because I don’t know if I have that much boldness left in me.”  
  
“I’m sure you just need to sleep to get it back.” Rapunzel assured her with a smile.  
  
They heard a knock at the door and Juniper poked her head in. “Hey, Raps. Sleepover?”  
  
“Sleepover!” Rapunzel said excitedly.  
  
“Andrew’s staying over with Varian, too.” He grinned. “He was talking about inviting Eugene to join them.”  
  
“One last night of peace before…” she faltered, “before the eclipse.”  
  
“Yeah, tomorrow is going to be wild, and then the battle after?” Juniper nodded.  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “I’m…nervous.”  
  
Juniper walked over and hugged her and Faith patiently wanted for them to be done before she could continue getting her ready for bed.  
  
“Juniper…do you think there’s any chance of Cass changing her mind?” She looked at her.  
  
“I think that, once you deal with demons, there’s no going back.” Juniper said grimly. “Manipulated by her words or not, Cassandra made the conscious choice to summon the demon and join up with the Disciples.”  
  
Rapunzel closed her eyes and leaned into her fellow princess. “I just…I still hope that there’s a chance that she might not be as bad as she seems. That it was all lies meant to hurt us.”  
  
Juniper turned Rapunzel to face her and sighed. “Raps—”  
  
“Ruddiger came back to the light, didn’t he?” Rapunzel blurted out. “And he was a full-fledged Disciple!”  
  
“He was also fourteen and emotional vulnerable when she started grooming him and she lied to him left, right and center until Demanitus told him that there was no way they could take the Sundrop Flower to the Iron Kingdom without _killing_ it, which to _him_ sounded like her lies about Demanitus never planning to do as he promised so he betrayed him for her.” Juniper shook her head firmly. “Cassandra was an adult when she met her, she _knew_ better than to trust a stranger’s word and she _still_ went through with betraying you, taking the Moonstone, and everything that’s followed.”  
  
“I…” Rapunzel glanced away.  
  
“Raps…she kidnapped and beat Varian.” Juniper reminded her. “She tried to kill him in those caves, she took the Mindtrap. These are all _her_ choices, no one is forcing her to do it. She is at fault for it as Varian is for making the automatons and stealing the withered flower. And he _did_ his time.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
Juniper looked at Faith and cleared her throat. “Uhm, I can take it from here. Why don’t you go on to bed, Faith? Big day tomorrow.”  
  
“Oh, alright. If you’re sure.” Faith curtseyed and headed for the door.  
  
“Sleep well!” Rapunzel called after her.  
  
\--  
  
“Faith” closed the door behind her and sighed, leaning against it before she stepped away and walked off. ‘If I’m going to have an advantage, I need to find where Varian is keeping that weapon and damage it before the festival.’ She thought as she walked down the stairs. ‘But, where is he keeping it? His lab? Unlikely. He’d want it by his side just in case. So, maybe his room?’ She stopped and looked thoughtful. ‘Where did Lucas say it was? I think it was…’  
  
She headed off again, going down another flight of steps. She found the room and reached for the doorknob, opening it just slightly, just enough to peek in.  
  
“So, uh, what is this Cassandra _like_ , anyway?” A guy that looked like Eugene with a mustache said as he, Andrew and Eugene sat with Varian on his bed. She also noticed King Edmund in the room, Hamuel on his shoulder and there was someone else she didn’t recognize.  
  
“She’s…uhm…” Varian looked unsure, then looked at the gray-haired young man with the raccoon ears and tail next to him. “Ruddiger! That’s not nice!”  
  
“What’d he say?” King Hamuel asked. “I’m still learning.”  
  
“Something he shouldn’t be saying around Varian at all.” Andrew swatted the young man and he let out a yelp and scooted further away.  
  
“Rhymes with ‘witch’.” Eugene supplied helpfully.  
  
King Edmund blinked at him. “Well, I don’t quite understand, but I’d say ‘witch’ suits her.”  
  
“I call her a viper woman, ice queen, similar names.” Eugene sighed. “We didn’t really get along. But then, while we were on the trip, she seemed to warm up to me. Turned out, she was just acting extra-nice so we wouldn’t suspect she was planning to betray us in the end.”  
  
“Wow.” The Eugene look-alike said. This must be the mysterious “twin brother” Father Bird mentioned. “So…she’s going to attack during the eclipse?”  
  
“That’s what she’s said.” Varian nodded. “I only hope that everything we’ve prepared will be enough. Even with Project Obsidian and Kline’s spell, we’re still dealing with Cassandra’s fighting skills.”  
  
She glanced around saw the weapon by his bed. She decided it was too risky to go after and closed the door quietly before moving on. She ducked into her old room and sighed, looking around. Her gaze fell on the closet and she walked over to open it, frowning when she saw a box in here that wasn’t there before. She opened it and saw the shattered pieces of the Cassandrium necklace and a note that said “I was such an idiot”.  
  
She swallowed back the ache it caused and closed the box. ‘No going back now, girl. You’re _so_ close to your Destiny.’ She thought, then looked around. ‘His lab might have some poisons. If I can poison Kline, that will weaken his spell, Zhan Tiri said.’  
  
She made her way to Varian’s lab and tried to open the door, cursing when she found it locked. Of course, it would be. She also noticed a sign that said [Keep Out – Dangerous Chemicals Inside]. “Yeah, I know,” she muttered, “that’s why I want to go _in_ there.”  
  
She resigned herself to giving up on that and instead made her way back outside, slipping out of the city. She suspected the others might have some kind of poison she could use.  
  
As soon as she stepped into the woods, Zhan Tiri appeared before her. “Cassandra?” she asked calmly, “what of the plan?”  
  
“I couldn’t get into his lab, not unless I want to cause a fuss. Got any poisons?” Cassandra asked.  
  
“I don’t have any at this moment, but I will get some to you by dawn. For now, go and rest.” She smiled fondly. “We don’t want our dear Princess to collapse from exhaustion.”  
  
“Queen.” Cassandra grinned, a distorted look on Faith’s face. “And you know I don’t need sleep, but I’ll go lie down and wait.”  
  
“You don’t need to eat, either, but your body thanks you for the extra energy.” Zhan Tiri turned to go. “Sleep well, Cassandra.”  
  
Cassandra shrugged and headed back in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tomorrow, it's time for the festival!
> 
> ((A/N: In other news, I learned the sign for the word "bitch" while making sure there was an actual sign for it. It's oddly close to the Japanese motion of apology.))


	46. Goodwill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Goodwill festival is underway, but Kline has news for everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The next morning, the Royal Family had breakfast with the usual extras, plus the Dark Kingdom group and Brock. Cassandra, in her Faith disguise, helped with bringing the drinks and, while everyone else was distracted, slipped something into Kline’s before setting it down.  
  
He placed his hand on hers, startling her, and spoke quietly. “You do _not_ have to do this. You can still change your mind.”  
  
She frowned a bit. “My mind is made up.”  
  
He sighed. “Then, let us see what Fate your choice brings you.” He picked up his poisoned drink and took a sip.  
  
Cassandra moved on, ignoring the slight feeling of concern and guilt that poked at her insides. It unsettled her that she didn’t call her out, and even willingly drank the poison without hesitation after their brief conversation was done. Wasn’t he supposed to, you know, _stop_ her?  
  
Kline set down his cup and then cleared his throat. “I have something to tell everyone here.”  
  
Cassandra tensed. Was this it? Was he going to tell them what she’d done?  
  
“What is it, old friend?” Andrew asked with a smile.  
  
“A prophecy.” Kline’s eyes glowed white. “ ** _Before the eclipse begins, the Moonstone’s true vessel will reveal themselves._** ”  
  
“Huh?” Everyone said in unison, confused.  
  
‘True vessel?’ Cassandra thought, offended.  
  
“Wait, wait, what? When? Who? We need more information!” Varian got up and went to him, then stopped when he noticed he had slumped in his chair. “Kline?”  
  
Andrew came over to check him out. “He’s just asleep. Prophecies always take a lot out of him.” He chuckled. “Juniper, let’s take him back to his room.”  
  
“Yeah.” Juniper got up and went to help Kline out of his chair and then they headed off together.  
  
“…The ‘true vessel’?” Rapunzel said thoughtfully.  
  
“So, I was right. Cassandra _isn’t_ the true vessel. _That’s_ why it fought her.” Varian turned to her. “We’ll have to keep an eye out for this vessel. And Cassandra too, of course.”  
  
“I just hope this person is on _our_ side.” Queen Arianna said worriedly.  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded, then looked over at his father, who had pursed his lips, his brow furrowed. “Dad?”  
  
“…The Moonstone…doesn’t _have_ a vessel…not a _real_ one. It was never meant to leave the cage.” He said, looking confused.  
  
“Apparently, the moon had other plans.” Brock said with a shrug.  
  
“Well, let’s not worry too much about it. We have the Goodwill Festival today!” Rapunzel said cheerfully.  
  
“We do! How’s that old gopher doing?” Eugene asked. “Varian, you wanna chase a gopher?”  
  
“I have _not_ and never _will_ chase a gopher, no.” Varian shook his head firmly, earning laughter around the table. “I prefer to leave that kind of stuff to those more athletically inclined, and my athletics so far have only included ‘running and dodging for my life’.”  
  
“Your loss.” Rapunzel grinned. “And here I was thinking we could pair up!  
  
Varian sputtered. “I-I’m honored, really, but I _really_ don’t want to do it.”  
  
“Come on, give it a try.” Eugene encouraged. “It may be your last chance to!”  
  
Varian looked unsure. “…Well…”  
  
“Please?” Rapunzel pleaded. “Last time I was with Monty, and while that was _fun_ , I bet _you’d_ be even better!”  
  
“What about _you_?” Varian looked at Eugene.  
  
“As much as I would _love_ to chase the gopher around in the dirt, I have to do Captain of the Guard stuff.” Eugene shrugged. “Besides, it’d mess up my pants.”  
  
Brock laughed.  
  
“Brock, what about you?” Varian looked at him.  
  
“Oh, no, I’m actually going to be joining it with dad. He insisted.” Brock looked up at his father.  
  
“Hector and I are teaming up.” Adira grinned.  
  
“We’re gonna get first place.” Hector nodded.  
  
Varian sighed. “Fiiiine.”  
  
Rapunzel beamed. “We’re gonna have so much fun!”  
  
“I better not wear my nice clothes today, then.” Varian smiled a bit.  
  
Cassandra had considered volunteering herself as a partner, but she had work to do. Besides, her cloak might get yanked off during the event, she couldn’t risk it.  
  
\--  
  
“So…is it _supposed_ to be lethargic?” Varian asked as Rapunzel checked the gopher over.  
  
“No…” She sighed and looked at Eugene and Faith. “I think he’s gotten too old. We’ll have to get another one.”  
  
“Might be best to get it ourselves, don’t want another _Vardaros_ incident.” Eugene chuckled.  
  
“What happened?” Varian asked.  
  
“Let’s just say that Lance and Hookfoot, eh…they didn’t really know what a gopher looked like.” Eugene cringed. “Got something a lot bigger and scarier than a gopher because they didn’t understand perspective in a picture, thought gophers were as big as a tree.”  
  
“Oh man.” Varian laughed.  
  
“Poor Gregorio.” Rapunzel sighed, petting the gopher.  
  
“Hey, speaking of animals, where’s yours, Varian?” Eugene looked at him.  
  
“He’s making sure our secret weapon is secure until the time comes. Also, he said something about not wanting his tail stepped on.” Varian shrugged.  
  
“Well,” Faith spoke up, “if we’re going to get a new gopher, we should hurry and go now.”  
  
“You’re right.” Rapunzel nodded, turning to them. “Let’s all go out and find a gopher!”  
  
“As much as I’d _love_ to help, Sunshine, I _do_ have my Royal Guard duties. You three have fun!” He quickly left.  
  
“Right… _where_ would we find a gopher?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“In Gopher Valley, of course.” Varian shrugged. The girls looked at him and he raised an eyebrow. “What? I’m a farm boy, you think we don’t know where to chuck the gophers after I catch them in my humane traps?”  
  
“I thought you said you hadn’t chased a gopher.” Rapunzel asked teasingly.  
  
“I didn’t. I trapped them after someone _else_ chased them.” Varian put his hand on his hip. “I don’t chase gophers.”  
  
“You do today!” Rapunzel grinned. “Let’s go to Gopher Valley!”  
  
\--  
  
“Uhm, Varian…” Rapunzel cringed a bit. “Is there, maybe, a valley of _cute_ gophers?”  
  
He looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “Gophers are gophers, Rapunzel. Sometimes you find a cute one but, most often, they look like these.”  
  
“Well…” Rapunzel said, as Cassandra tugged her cloak away from a gopher behind the duo, “we came here for a gopher.”   
  
Cassandra yanked it away and cringed as she ended up in King Frederic’s form in a Lady-in-Waiting dress and mentally cursed the Disciples for their little game the other day before she adjusted it, found herself looking like Adira, and then fixed it again, only to find herself looking like Eugene. Making a face, she fixed it again and then scooted away from the gopher once she was looking like Faith again.  
  
“I just wanted something cuter.” Rapunzel frowned.  
  
“Well, let’s look around and see if we can find a cute one, then.” Varian shrugged as they walked away from Cassandra, who was chasing a gopher that stole the cloak off her entirely.  
  
The gopher put the cloak on and she started a tug-of-war with it, with it changing into different animals as she fought with it.  
  
“It’s just, Gregorio is so _cute_ , I don’t want to bring in someone less cute than him for his replacement.” Rapunzel said as they walked together.  
  
“Well, time is running out and beggars can’t be choosers sometimes. But, we’ll see what we can find, Rapunzel.” Varian assured her. “You brought bimberries, right?”  
  
“Yes.” Rapunzel assured him. “And, oh, wow, I just remembered something funny that I heard from Cassandra and Eugene told me. Apparently, Eugene mistook dimberries for bimberries, and poor Gregorio went _berserk_!”  
  
“Heh, yeah…dimberries can be…” Varian cleared his throat. “That’s actually a big component of what I gave to Ruddiger.”  
  
“Ohh…hey, what, effect does that have on his, uh, human-ish form?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Nothing noticeable so far, but he hasn’t gotten angry.” Varian shrugged, then looked over his shoulder. “Faith? What are you doing?”  
  
Cassandra looked up at him and straightened up. “I-I, uh, stretching. I was stretching, heh. Gotta…keep in shape to keep up with the Princess, right?”  
  
“…Hm.” He looked forward.  
  
“Where’d you learn to stretch like that?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Uhh…acting class. It’s a warm-up.” Cassandra lied.  
  
“Acting class? Faith, you get stage-fright.” Varian walked over to her. “Are you okay?” He reached out to cup her cheek.  
  
“I-I’m fine!” She stepped back. “I…” She sighed. “I just… _you_ got over _your_ fears recently by facing them…I thought _I_ could face _mine_.”  
  
Varian’s expression softened a bit. “Faith…”  
  
“Let’s catch us a gopher, shall we?” She said, moving around him. ‘Phew, that was close.’ She thought. ‘Figures she would have stage-fright. I didn’t know they were close enough for him to _know_ something like that, though.’  
  
They walked together through the valley, Rapunzel making little squeals of delight every now and then.  
  
“You know,” she said as she stopped to peek into a hole, “it’s always nice to spend time together, especially when our lives aren’t at risk!”  
  
“Haha, yeah. So far, we’ve spent time together to blow up an airship together, battle red rocks together, and, oh, don’t forget the time we nearly got sold together!” Varian grinned at her.  
  
“We did not.” Rapunzel nudged him. “Dwayne didn’t even know we were in there.”  
  
“Yeah, so he was _unknowingly_ planning to sell us. If we hadn’t managed to talk to him, we’d probably end up freed when someone decided to take us for a swim in a whole other Kingdom!” Varian sighed. “Oh, and let’s not forget our adventure the other day, with Brock.”  
  
Cassandra had no idea what he was talking about, aside from the red rocks, and he didn’t seem to be talking to her, anyway.  
  
“Anyways, _this_ adventure is _probably_ not going to be life-threatening.” Rapunzel said, nudging him.  
  
“Oh, definitely, especially since we left Eugene and his dimberries behind.” Varian said teasingly.  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel shoved him and they laughed.  
  
Cassandra stopped and ducked behind some bushes, motioning for them to join her as he looked out at the hill in front of her. “Is that cute enough for you, Princess?” She asked softly.  
  
Rapunzel looked ahead and gasped. There, among the scary and grumpy-looking gophers, was a cute girl with two white rings like a target on her back.  
  
“Alright…now, how do we get only _he_ r to go for the bimberries?” Rapunzel said thoughtfully, then gasped as Varian slowly stepped out onto the field, reaching into his pocket as he passed by the gophers. He tossed a bimberry to each one he passed, which seemed to catch her attention because she was looking up at him expectantly as he knelt down in front of her and offered her a handful of bimberries. She happily chowed down and he gently stroked her fur, speaking quietly.  
  
“We send the wild-animal-whisperer, apparently.” Cassandra remarked, while Rapunzel went “aww” and pulled out her journal to quickly draw the scene in front of her. Cassandra had never seen Rapunzel draw so fast, she was done by the time the gopher had finished what was in his hand and then she and other gophers were snuffling around him looking for more.  
  
“Okay, okay!” He laughed. “You’re lucky, I didn’t bring my raccoon with me.” He took off his backpack and pulled out one of his alchemy balls, but it was full of bimberries, not alchemy. “Here you go, buddies.” He started to hand some out, and the girl flopped down in his lap comfortably and looked up at him with lovesick eyes as he fed her more.  
  
“That is _so cute_.” Rapunzel cooed, already starting another picture.  
  
Cassandra had to admit, it was a kind of sweet picture. No matter how much she wanted to wring his neck, and she to admit that Varian had his charms, such as apparently being able to tame any wild animal. Or, the farmland pests, at least.  
  
“Uhm, guys?” Varian called, and Rapunzel looked up from her drawing. “I’m out of bimberries, and they won’t get off.”  
  
“I’ll go help.” Rapunzel giggled, closing her journal and walking over to help him ease off the relaxing gophers. They managed to wriggle all but the one they wanted off and then Varian put his empty alchemy ball back in his bag while Rapunzel picked up the gopher.  
  
“Here, let me help you up.” Cassandra walked over and offered Varian her hand. He smiled and took it, then got up, pulling his backpack on as they headed back. “You looked really peaceful.”  
  
“Animals are always relaxing to be around, especially wild ones. They don’t worry about the past, only about the now, and if the now is someone giving them something good to eat, they’re going to be at peace.” He sighed. “They’re not complicated, like humans. Especially adults. No offense, Rapunzel.”  
  
Cassandra took a few moments to remember that Faith was a teenager like Varian.  
  
“No, no, I totally understand. Adults are just crazy. I may be technically an adult but, thanks to my upbringing, I have a different mentality from them and get called ‘free-spirited’ a lot.” Rapunzel nodded. “For years, it was just me and Pascal. I mean, obviously Mother Gothel was there too, but…well, once I grew old enough to be self-sustaining, she stopped sleeping at the tower and went out most of the day.”  
  
“She started staying in our guest room the year we held a memorial service for my mother.” Varian said thoughtfully. “So, you were…” he started counting under his breath, “eight years old when Gothel decided you could take care of yourself.”  
  
“Yep!” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“…Sounds about right. That’s about when dad left me to my own devices, too.” Varian shrugged.  
  
Rapunzel laughed. “I don’t know if we can call them ‘normal’…”  
  
“They definitely both took lessons from the same not-parenting class.” Varian sighed heavily. “’You’re not ready’.”  
  
“’It’s too dangerous’.” Rapunzel rolled her eyes.  
  
“’You wouldn’t understand’.” They said in unison, then nodded solemnly.  
  
Cassandra mentally rolled her eyes as they headed back to the city.  
  
\--  
  
“Well, I gotta go. I’ll see you for the event.” Varian said, heading off while Rapunzel held the gopher close.  
  
“Oh, alright! See you soon!” Rapunzel called, then smiled at who she still thought was Faith. “Let’s go take this little one to get ready for the gopher grab.”  
  
“Yeah.” Cassandra nodded, watching Varian go. “So…he hasn’t really shown me the new weapon yet, what’s it like? Do you know where he keeps it?”  
  
“I actually don’t, no.” Rapunzel shook her head. “I wonder where he’s heading off to?” She walked into the gopher tent and set the new gopher down and started to brush her fur.  
  
“Hey, let me do that.” Cassandra offered. Rapunzel stepped to the side and let Cassandra take over.  
  
“I’m going to go see if anyone needs help preparing for the festival. See you later!” Rapunzel hurried off.  
  
Cassandra looked at her as she left, then sighed. “Finally. I thought she’d _never_ leave.” She murmured.  
  
“Everything seems to be going as planned.” Zhan Tiri walked up to her with a sly smile.  
  
“Careful, there’s a poster of you.” Cassandra smirked.  
  
“I know well how to blend in the shadows.” Zhan Tiri assured her. “Everyone else is in place. We’re only waiting for your signal now.”  
  
“And the girl?” Cassandra asked.  
  
“Asleep in the tower. She tuckered herself out attempting to escape, Lucas, Father and Matthews had a merry time of terrorizing her into running back the other way.” She clicked her tongue. “The poor, little dear.”  
  
“Varian might be onto me, but I’m not sure. I might have to start the attack sooner than planned, he suddenly had somewhere to go as soon as we got back.” She groaned. “I didn’t know she had stage-fright. Why did I say ‘acting class’?”  
  
“We are all in position.” Zhan Tiri assured her. “Whenever you are ready.”  
  
Cassandra nodded. “I’ll signal.”  
  
“Oh, and just in case Rapunzel starts to use that incantation again,” Zhan Tiri offered her a pale-yellow bottle, “you will want to use this.”  
  
Cassandra nodded and accepted it, then slipped it into her armor under the cloak. “Thanks, I’m sure it’ll come in handy.”  
  
“Anything I can do to support you.” She said with a bow before vanishing into the shadows.  
  
“Oh, wait—” Cassandra turned to her, but she was already gone. “…I was going to ask her if she knew anything about this ‘true vessel’ business…” She sighed and went back to brushing the gopher.  
  
No turning back now. The spell was weak, the Disciples were all in place, she had a potion to use against Rapunzel and the eclipse was tomorrow. Everyone was waiting on her.  
  
She finished brushing the gopher and put her in a little gopher house before she left the tent, recalling something she said what felt so long ago.  
  
 ** _{So, It’s time to rise up, or it’s time to back down, and the answer is easy to see. And I swear by this sword, if you’re in, get on board! Are you ready?}_**  
  
She smiled as she walked. ‘I’m ready.’  
  
\--  
  
Varian looked at Project Obsidian with a grim expression. Talking about it was one thing, practicing it was another, but actually using this thing on Cassandra was a completely different thing altogether. He closed his eyes, blocking out the sounds of the amber creeping and his father’s pained groans.  
  
“Are you sure?” Eugene asked calmly. Varian looked up at him as he went on. “You’re sure that there’s evidence Cassandra will attack today?”  
  
He sighed. “Yes.” He glanced away. “She’s already here.”  
  
Ruddiger placed his hand on Varian’s shoulder, a concerned look on his face. Varian pursed his lips and nodded. “We have to prepare for battle.” He picked up the weapon.  
  
Eugene nodded. “Then, are you ready?”  
  
Varian nodded, securing the weapon to his person by a strap. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”  
  
They headed out together.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel looked around, tapping her feet. The Gopher Grab was starting soon, where was Varian? She looked around and saw Faith approaching her. “Oh, hey, Faith!”  
  
“Hey.” Faith smiled, stopping in front of her.  
  
“Have you seen Varian around? The Gopher Grab is about to start, and I haven’t seen him anywhere.” She looked around again.  
  
“Mmm, I wouldn’t worry about him.” Faith said, giggling a bit.  
  
“Well, I’m not _worried_ , but…why?” She squinted at the crowd, hoping to see him coming through it.  
  
“Because you’ve got bigger problems.”  
  
She gasped and looked back at Faith in time to see her grab her face and throw off the Cloak of Retudnus, Cassandra grinning at her. “Hello, Princess.”  
  
“Cass?!” She stepped back, alarmed.  
  
People screamed and someone yelled to call the guards. Cassandra laughed. “Relaaaax! I’m just here to have a good time!”  
  
“Cass…” Rapunzel swallowed nervously. “I…I didn‘t know you were coming.”  
  
“Really? With the eclipse being tomorrow? As if I’d miss the chance to celebrate goodwill with everyone before the big battle?” Cassandra laughed and reached out to cup Rapunzel’s cheek. “I can’t wait to see you on your knees before me, _Princess_. Powerless and pleading for mercy as your precious Sundrop fails you.”  
  
Rapunzel jerked away from her. “Cassandra, please, I _don’t_ want to fight you!” She looked hopeful. “Can’t we just…be friends again? Put all this behind us? Cass, if you’ve been Faith all this time, you _know_ that you’re not the true vessel of the Moonstone, and that the _true_ vessel is on their way!” She gasped. “Oh my god. _Where_ is _Faith_?!”  
  
“She’s fine. For now.” Cassandra grinned. “Where do you _think_ she is, Raps? I thought you weren’t a natural blonde?”  
  
“Okay, one, rude. Two, why would you _do_ that to her, she’s probably _terrified_!” Rapunzel stepped towards her. “Cass, _please_ , don’t be like this! You can still be good, you can still be saved from the darkness, just give back Faith and stop this!”  
  
Cassandra chuckled. “I don’t think so.” She noticed the Royal Guard had gathered and they charged at her.  
  
“Stay away from the Princess!” One of them yelled.  
  
“Raps!” Juniper ran over and swung a kick at Cassandra, she laughed and knocked her back with wave of black rocks, which she also sent to the guards that came running at her.  
  
“Cassandra, please!” Rapunzel cried. “We don’t want to hurt you! Cass!”  
  
“I’m taking what’s mine, Rapunzel! I’m not going to be the pauper in this tale anymore! You took my mother, you took the life that could have been mine, it’s only right I take the life that should have been yours!” Cassandra said, knocking another guard away.  
  
“Cassandra!” Rapunzel cried. “Don’t make me _do_ this!”  
  
Cassandra shot her a grin. “Do _what_ , Princess? Beg and plead? Or maybe you intend to use the final incantation?”  
  
Rapunzel had tears slipping down her cheeks as she shook her head. “Cass, please…please, don’t…don’t make me…”  
  
Another guard ran forward, the Brotherhood ran forward, and she knocked them back with a wave of black rocks with ease, though the Brotherhood took some extra work.  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel cried behind her. “Do it!”  
  
She heard something explode and turned to look at Rapunzel before she was hit in the back by something. She gasped harshly as her armor started to change, her body begin to be encased, and she reached out to the sky in agony as her vision became covered in yellowish-orange.  
  
And then it all went black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is Cassandra defeated? Is this the end of her tyranny?
> 
> ((A/N: Did I skip Feldspar's stupid play? Yes. Why? Because Cassandra isn't wanting to explain herself, so it's pointless.))


	47. Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra has been vanquished!  
> ...Or has she?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Varian’s body was trembling, but he ignored it. His heart was pounding in his throat, but he endured it. Cassandra was running wild, Rapunzel was pleading with her, begging for her to stop, but she shouldn’t. People were being hurt. His finger rested over the trigger, waiting for Rapunzel’s word. Eugene knelt next to him, Ruddiger on his other side and Andrew guarding his flank, just in case.  
  
And then it came.  
  
“Varian! Do it!” Rapunzel cried with desperation born from seeing no other way out.  
  
He pulled the trigger, his body jerked with the recoil, and he watched as the solution sailed towards Cassandra and crashed into the black rocks covering her body as she turned towards Rapunzel.  
  
It was instant, but it felt like it took ages to fully cover her body. She let out a soft cry of pain as she was engulfed, but he forced himself to watch. She deserved this. She did. And it wasn’t death, it was just…Rapunzel would let her out once they’d prepared a way to keep her from escaping. A way to take the Moonstone. Or maybe when the true vessel showed up, they’d just take it.  
  
She wasn’t dead. He knew this. She’d recover from it. It was just a temporary imprisonment.  
  
It still ached to see her like that.  
  
“Is…it over?” A townsperson asked anxiously.  
  
The warriors around her were tense, watching. The Brotherhood, especially.  
  
“Son!” Quirin ran to Varian’s side, looking anxious. “Son, are you alright? I heard that—” He stopped and looked at the encased woman. “Oh…Varian…” He looked back at him and pulled him close.  
  
It seemed to be over.  
  
It _should_ have been over.  
  
A flash of blue light in the amber, a spark, caught everyone’s attention. Her outstretched hand twitched inside the amber, her teeth clenched, and then the amber glowed blue before bursting apart, pieces flying everywhere.  
  
“Dad, go!” Varian pushed against him and aimed his weapon again. Cassandra set a wave of black rocks at him and he dodged out of the way.  
  
“Project Obsidian, huh?” She asked tauntingly. “Cute. You’ve really come a long way from the night of the blizzard, haven’t you?”  
  
“Get her!” A guard yelled.  
  
Varian couldn’t understand it. Her armor was the same as before, completely unchanged. She had shattered his amber like glass. What would _stop_ her?  
  
“Cassandra, please!” Rapunzel pleaded. “This is your home!”  
  
“Oh, you _bet_ it is! But I’m remaking it _my_ way! CORONA FALLS TODAY!” Cassandra drew her sword, her eyes and the moonstone glowing brighter.  
  
The people screamed as Disciples came out of the woodwork and attacked with green fire. Ruddiger’s ears folded back and he let out a low hiss before he changed form into a green one like the other Disciples and charged at one of them.  
  
“Ruddiger, no!” Varian called, then focused his attention on black rocks coming his way, firing his solution at them.  
  
“Cass, enough!” Rapunzel cried. “ _Power of the sun_ —”  
  
“Not happening!” Cassandra pulled out a bottle and smashed it at Rapunzel’s feet. She coughed in the blue smoke that came out and then collapsed.  
  
“Rapunzel!” Eugene rode Maximus over and Varian fired at Cassandra to draw her attention away from Rapunzel, making her back up as he hopped off of Maximus and knelt next to her.  
  
\--  
  
“Max, Pascal!” Eugene put Rapunzel on Maximus’s back. “Get the Princess as far as you can! Now!”  
  
They left, swiftly. Eugene watched them go, then cried out as he was struck by black rocks.  
  
“HEY!” Varian fired at her again and she blocked it with black rocks before running off, Varian going after her.  
  
“Be careful, kid.” Eugene said, then turned towards the Royal Guard. “Get people out of here! Evacuate anyone you can! All non-fighter personnel need to get out of the battlefield!”  
  
Some green fire landed near him, but Ruddiger put it out and then went back into battle.  
  
Eugene glanced around. “Where’s Adira and Hector?”  
  
“Eugene!” Lance ran over to him. “Adira and Hector, they’ve gone mad! They’re attacking the people that were headed for the castle!”  
  
Eugene bit back a curse. “The Mindtrap! Come on, Lance! Cassandra’s controlling them!”  
  
He could see Quirin over with his son, quickly pulling him out of the way of rocks being fired at him. His own father was trying to protect Brock from Hector, who had decided that he wanted to take down the monarchy for some reason.  
  
“Eugene, snap out of it!” Juniper said, firing a wind spell at a disciple and knocking them away. “We’ll worry about the magic stuff, you focus on helping the people!” She nodded to Andrew and the other Saporians also at work fighting with magic.  
  
“Right!” Eugene nodded and ran off to join Lance in fighting Adira so the people she was cornering could escape. “Lance, you have to fight her!”  
  
“I can’t!” He cried. “Adira, please, it’s me! Lance! _Your_ Lance! Fight the Moon’s control!”  
  
“She can’t hear you, Lance, she’s completely under the Moonstone’s control!” Eugene said, blocking an attack from her.  
  
\--  
  
Varian’s heart was pounding in his ears, but he ignored it. His grip was firm on the handle of his weapon, his finger calmly pulling the trigger again and again as he fired at Cassandra, keeping her distracted, keeping her attention on him. Not enough, if Adira and Hector were any indication. Still, it was enough that she wasn’t directly attacking anyone else.  
  
“Agh!” He cried out in frustration as his father jerked him aside again, ruining his shot. “Dad, thank you for your help, but can you _please_ go help someone _else_?!”  
  
Quirin looked a bit guilty, sensing he’d just made a mistake. “Alright. Be careful, son.”  
  
Varian nodded and glanced at him as he ran to help King Edmund against Hector, then fired on a row of black rock s Cassandra was sending his way, before he fired another shot at her, forcing her to jump out of the way and make an ungraceful landing in the dirt.  
  
“You’re going to regret sending him away.” She said, firing off another row. He changed them to ember, then stepped back as they shattered like all the rest had been. “How long do you think your reflexes will hold out?”  
  
“How long do you think your lips will keep _flapping_ before I encase you in amber again?” Varian retorted, firing again. She ducked behind some rubble from a black rock smashing into a building.  
  
He frowned, moving to the side. He couldn’t see her, and he didn’t like it. A wave of black rocks came at him and he fired at it, stopping it just before it hit him. He jumped back as it shattered.  
  
‘Too close, too close.’ He thought, cringing. ‘I need to focus, need to keep her in my sights.’  
  
“Adira, please!” Lance cried. “Why is love so fickle?”  
  
“Lance!” Eugene urged him.  
  
No. Focus. Block out everything else, only focus on Cassandra. He took a deep breath, then slowly released it, dodging around black rocks and running around the debris to fire at her again. She put up another black-rock wall, which he destroyed, and she bolted.  
  
He knew that this was only delaying things. That the amber couldn’t encase her like it had his father. Apparently, having the Moonstone itself on your person made the amber useless. Her personal chemical makeup had been altered.  
  
Still, if he could only delay her long enough to let the King and Queen escape, as well as whoever of their subjects as they could manage, that would be enough. He fired again, and she moved out of range before sending another wave of black rocks, her hair whipping with the motion, blue with that single streak of black on the left side of her face, like a strange parody of his own hair’s odd features.  
  
He frowned and mentally brushed that odd thought aside, why did that even come up? Didn’t matter. He dodged another row, fired amber at it, then looked around, realizing he couldn’t see her anywhere.  
  
“Shoot.” He cringed, looking around. “Cassandra?” He started to walk sideways, looking at the rubble in front of him. “Where are you? Come out, come out, wherever you are.”  
  
He saw movement and quickly turned, but not quick enough. A row of sharp rocks had sped at him and Project Obsidian and the weapon was split in two as his right hand was sliced into, solution crashing and spilling on the ground as he recoiled, holding his wounded right hand. Realizing he was wounded and unarmed, he fled, dodging around black rocks.  
  
“Son!” King Edmund called as Quirin pulled Varian into his arms, looking concerned. “You cannot save a Kingdom by being trapped inside it!”  
  
“Retreat!” Eugene called out, and everyone fled, black rocks trying to block their way out as they dodged around them.  
  
“That’s right!” Cassandra laughed. “Run! Run away! Anyone who doesn’t run will have to stay and bow to their new Queen!”  
  
“Ruddiger!” Varian looked around anxiously as they hurried across the bridge.  
  
Black rocks chased them across the bridge and then stopped when they got to the other side. They watched in horror as a wall of black rocks closed up every opening, securing Cassandra’s complete and utter success.  
  
Varian saw a green figure flying towards them from over the rocks and then gasped as it collapsed to the ground in front of them, changing back into Ruddiger’s raccoon-man form. “Ruddiger!” He knelt next to him.  
  
“Kid, you’re hurt. I got him.” Eugene said, kneeling down to lift Ruddiger into his arms. “Alright, head count. Who got out?”  
  
To his relief, King Frederic, Queen Arianna, Fidella, Lance, Quirin, Varian, Ruddiger, Xavier, King Edmund, Brock, Kiera, Catalina, Feldspar, Monty, Attila, Stan, Pete, Andrew, Juniper, Kai, Clementine, Maisie and Old Lady Crowley had managed to make it out.  
  
Not as many as he would’ve _liked_ to have escaped, but the fact that _any_ did at _all_ was a relief.  
  
“Well…” Eugene cleared his throat. “Let’s…regroup with Maximus and Pascal, see where they took the Princess.”  
  
They all nodded gravely, then looked over as they heard a neigh to see Maximus behind them. He motioned for them to follow him and they headed off, going into the woods.  
  
\--  
  
To their relief, Rapunzel was in the Snuggly Duckling surrounded by all her pub friends. They looked relieved to see Attila alive and well and BigNose got up to throw his arms around him with a cry. Shorty was adjusting a blanket over Rapunzel, her head propped up by a pillow and he stepped aside in an oddly solemn way when her parents came to her side. Eugene walked over and laid Ruddiger down on the stage as well and they got him a pillow and blanket.  
  
Ruddiger opened his eyes and pushed both away, getting up and looking around with ears twitching before he went to the door.  
  
“We’re going to go scout with him.” Kiera said as she headed out with Catalina.  
  
“Be safe.” Eugene said, not taking his eyes from Rapunzel. “Rapunzel, please wake up…”  
  
“Let me in there.” Clementine walked over and examined Rapunzel, while her parents and boyfriend watched anxiously. “Relax.” She assured them after using some equipment to test the dust on Rapunzel’s dress and face. “It’s a simple sleeping dust. She will wake soon, it only lasts a few hours.”  
  
“Oh, thank the Sun.” King Frederic said with relief.  
  
“Alright, Varian, let’s get this taken care of.” Andrew said as Lance got out a first-aid kit from behind the bar.  
  
“Is anyone else hurt?” Lance asked as Andrew carefully unfastened and removed Varian’s glove.  
  
Varian whimpered a bit as the glove was remove, fully revealing the gash in his hand, and he looked away, feeling ill. “Hang in there, buddy. Let me just get this cleaned up and bandaged for you.” Andrew said gently.  
  
“Son, what cut you?” Quirin asked with concern.  
  
“Cassandra pulled a cheap move, attacked from behind. Cut my hand with a row of sharp, black rocks when she destroyed Project Obsidian as I turned to face her.” Varian said, looking at him. “You know, it’s funny, I think that’s the first time I’ve actually touched one of the rocks with my ha—dad, you okay?”  
  
“Quirin?” King Edmund walked over to him. “You look pale.”  
  
Quirin cleared his throat and gently stroked Varian’s hair in a soothing way. “I’m just…I hate to see my son be hurt.”  
  
“Yeah, I mean, if he hadn’t _dodged_ …” Brock cringed.  
  
“Thanks for reminding me how close to death I was again, Brock.” Varian said with a smirk.  
  
“Is that a common thing, you getting your life threatened?” Brock asked.  
  
“I mean…I guess?” Varian shrugged.  
  
“There we go, all wrapped up.” Andrew finished with the bandage and then pulled his glove back on over it. “We’ll redress it in a few hours.”  
  
“Thanks.” Varian sighed. “Andrew…what about Kline?”  
  
Clementine looked over. “Kline has a spell cast on himself that will protect him from anyone intending to do him harm. He’ll be fine. I am more concerned about the Royal Advisor, frankly, and anyone else still in that city.”  
  
“She’s right.” Juniper said grimly. “We don’t know _what_ she has planned for anyone still in that city.”  
  
“Mmn…”  
  
They all looked over at Rapunzel and Lance went to the door to call in Ruddiger and the girls. “Hey, she’s awake!”  
  
They hurried in and joined the others.  
  
“Rapunzel.” Eugene said, leaning over her worriedly with her parents. “Blondie.” He smiled, seeing her opened her eyes.  
  
She blinked up at him and slowly sat up. “What’s going on?” She looked around, seeing everyone looking at her with concern.  
  
“Thank goodness you’re okay.” Eugene said, drawing her attention back to him and her parents as they pulled her into a group hug.  
  
She leaned into the hug, then gasped and pulled away. “What happened with Cassandra and Zhan Tiri?”  
  
Eugene cringed and cupped her cheek. “Oh, Sunshine, I don’t know if you should be—”  
  
She pushed his hand aside and got up, hurrying to the door. They followed her as she ran out until she reached a point where she could see Corona clearly.  
  
“No.” She said, watching in horror as green lights weaved in and out of the black rocks that covered her city. “I don’t believe it.” She said, her body trembling, on the verge of tears. Her Kingdom, her people, taken over by Cassandra, just as she feared.  
  
She couldn’t protect them…  
  
But she _can_ save them.  
  
Her expression grew cold as she clenched her hands at her sides. Eugene took one of her hands and she looked up at him with a determined expression. He nodded and then they turned to the others behind them.  
  
Yes, their forces were small and…ragtag, but they’ve worked with less. And _succeeded_ with less.  
  
They could work through this.  
  
\--  
  
The townspeople were gathered up, cuffed and herded into the throne room like cattle and forced to bow down before the black-rock throne that had taken the place of the King’s, Queen’s and Princess’s thrones. Zhan Tiri stood before the throne, while Hector and Adira stood on either side of it and the Disciples all stood with the captured citizens.  
  
“All hail your rightful Queen, Queen Cassandra!” Zhan Tiri declared, as a door opened and Cassandra started to walk in.  
  
She was dressed in a long, beautiful, glittering black, white and blue dress, a black-rock scepter in her hand topped with a white rock that matched the white crown she wore atop her long, flowing blue locks. She smiled slyly at the people as she approached the throne and Zhan Tiri stepped to the side so she could be seen sitting on her throne unobscured and did a low curtsy as Cassandra sat down on her throne.  
  
“All hail Queen Cassandra!” The Disciples and Brotherhood all declared before bowing down.  
  
“All hail me.” Cassandra said smugly, crossing one leg over the other.  
  
Faith, who had been brought there by Lucas after the battle, trembled in fear, her leg shifting in the chain that bound her to the wall of the throne room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra has won, but Rapunzel's not done!
> 
> ((A/N: When I overcome my art block, I will draw her gorgeous coronation gown and put it as an insert, so sorry that it's not done yet. :'( ))


	48. Vessel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Secrets are out, and Varian takes action.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

The sun had set long ago, but no one could sleep. The eclipse was tomorrow, but Cassandra had already taken over. All their warnings, their preparations, was for nothing. “We should’ve evacuated people instead of having the festival.” King Frederic said grimly.  
  
“We didn’t know that Cassandra would strike early.” Varian said, staring into his mug glumly. “Nothing we did worked. Project Obsidian was useless, because the Moonstone made her different from the rocks. Can nothing beat her but the Sundrop?”  
  
“Our magic was useless.” Juniper clenched her fists. “Even against the Disciples. And Kline…he’s trapped in there.”  
  
“If Kline wanted to leave, nothing could keep him from it.” Clementine assured her. “You don’t live as long as he has and not learn a few tricks.”  
  
“I need air.” Varian pushed away from the bar and got up, heading for the door. “I need to think.”  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel called after him, wincing when the door slammed behind him.  
  
He stepped outside and started to pace in the moonlight, glaring up at it every now and then. “Cassandra uses the Moonstone like she’s meant for it, but she’s _not_. And the actual true vessel isn’t _here_ yet. There has to be a way to beat her besides the Sundrop. And what happens if we just hide away until after the eclipse? Will Cassandra let Zhan Tiri destroy Corona? Too many questions, too many missing variables, not enough _time_!”  
  
He brought his hands to his head, pacing faster as he tried to figure out their problem. “Think, Varian, think…” He muttered, “there has to be a way to combat her on her own level…”  
  
He paused and looked at his right hand. Why wasn’t it hurting anymore? He unfastened his glove and pulled it off, then loosened the bloody bandage, letting it fall to the ground as he stared at his hand, which was completely unharmed. “Uhhhhhhhhhh!”  
  
“Varian?” Quirin ran out to him, then stopped short as he took in his appearance.  
  
“Hey, everything okay?” Eugene asked, coming out to join him. He also stopped short and Varian turned to look at them.  
  
“Uhm…my…hand is…it’s, uh…” He held it up.  
  
“Glowing?” Eugene supplied.  
  
Varian blinked and noticed his fingertips were glowing a dim blue color. He took off his other glove and noticed the same was going on there, and then he gasped as a blue glow appeared at the left side of his face. “…Dad?”  
  
Quirin looked grim. “Let’s go back inside, out of the moonlight. Pick up your gloves.” He went in and Varian quickly grabbed his gloves and followed him in.  
  
“Uh…” Eugene followed them in and shut the door.  
  
“Varian, uhm…is everything okay?” Rapunzel asked, concerned.  
  
“That’s what _I_ wanna know.” Varian walked over to where his father was standing. “Dad?”  
  
He sighed. “I tried to protect you from this. It seems that I couldn’t prevent it, after all. You…you weren’t ready yet. You’re still so young. But, that choice has been made _for_ us.”  
  
“Dad, I don’t understand.” Varian frowned.  
  
“You…might want to sit down.” Quirin looked at them. “It’s a bit of a long story.”  
  
They all took their seats on the floor or the stage or various tables and stools. Quirin sighed, clutching at his chest. “The night that the Dark Kingdom fell, Kong Edmund tried to destroy the Moonstone. You all know this.” He glanced around. “Well, maybe not _all_.” He cleared his throat. “When he went into the chamber, I tried to stop him. I wrestled with him, trying to get him to give up on his plan, to leave the Moonstone alone. He managed to get to it anyway, and…well, the Moonstone didn’t like it.”  
  
King Edmund glanced to the side and Hamuel cawed at him.  
  
“We all dispersed, but something happened that night that I didn’t tell anyone.” He tugged on his glove and pulled it off, showing them a shining Brotherhood mark. “That night, the Moon spoke to me. She said that the wave had granted me a piece of her power, and she wanted me to find a worthy woman that could birth her a vessel.” He lowered his hand, then looked to Varian. “I did as she asked. I met your mother, and you were born. A little boy with an inexplicable streak of color in his hair that would not be dyed or cut out. A little boy with the powers of the moon locked away inside of him, until the day came that I would take you to the moonstone and you would become her vessel.”  
  
Varian looked like if he wasn’t sitting down, he would faint. “I…what? You…huh?”  
  
“I told you to stay away from the rocks because, if your hands touched them unobstructed by gloves, your powers would unlock early. I kept saying ‘you’re not ready’ because you _aren’t_. You’re still only a _child_ , no matter how much you may try to say otherwise, I feared what would happen if you took the Moonstone early, that it would _kill_ you!” Quirin walked over to Varian and took his hands in his. “But, I did not count on Cassandra, on _anyone_ , taking the Moonstone instead and…if I’d known, I would’ve…”  
  
“So—So, all this time, _all this time_ , you’ve been hiding… _this_?!” He gestured to his still glowing hair. “All this time, you’ve _known_ that I’m something _magical,_ and you _kept_ it from me?!”  
  
“Would you have believed me if I’d told you?” Quirin asked. “The only way I could have told you is to take you to the moonstone and let it enter your body.”  
  
“Uh—hold on. I think I should have _some_ say on if any magical _rock_ goes into my body or not!” Varian shook his head.  
  
Quirin sighed and shook his head. “No. No, the Moonstone would have sought you out. Perhaps…” He looked a bit grim. “Perhaps it already did, and that’s why Old Corona…”  
  
Varian’s eyes went wide. “…Are you saying that Old Corona was hit harder than everywhere else…because of _me_?”  
  
“No! I’m not!” He looked at him. “You are _not_ to blame for the Moon’s actions, son! Any more than you are to blame for Cassandra’s! Don’t _ever_ think that _you_ brought calamity upon the village, it was the Moon’s doing!”  
  
Varian wrapped his arms around himself. “So…so, if the Moonstone was meant for _me_ , why didn’t it come to me when I was kidnapped?”  
  
“I don’t know.” Quirin said grimly. “Perhaps, you needed to unlock your powers for it to recognize you now. Or, perhaps her will is too strong for it, and that’s why she has the moonstone at _all_. But, Varian—”  
  
“Okay.” Varian nodded, pulling his gloves back on and fastening them. “I know what I have to do, then.”  
  
“What? What are you planning?” Eugene asked.  
  
“I’m going to Corona.” Varian took off his backpack and handed it to his father as he passed him, heading out.  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel called, running out after him.  
  
He ignored her and took to a run, heading for the damaged city.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra let out a contented sigh as she walked through the empty halls of the castle. Everyone in the castle staff had retired to bed at her order and she was taking the time to enjoy the silence the empty halls offered her.  
  
Everything was going according to plan. The castle was hers, the island was hers, the throne was hers, and now she just needed the Sundrop and for Rapunzel to be her Lady-in-Waiting.  
  
She made her way up to Rapunzel’s room, glancing around.  
  
It occurred to her, suddenly, that the silence could be hiding attackers armed with amber solution. And while she knew that it didn’t really hurt her, – okay, yes, it did _hurt_ – she still didn’t want to take any chances. She started to hear footsteps but turned to see no one behind her. Shadows on the wall seemed to be an attacker until she slashed at it and left only a scratch on the wall.  
  
She didn’t like the quiet. It was _too_ quiet. Things had been going too smoothly, and she felt like she was _forgetting something_. She gasped, ah, that’s it! The “true vessel” was supposedly on the way! He or she could be anywhere, just _waiting_ for her to let down her guard!  
  
What’s that? Movement! She swung her sword and cut off the head of a bust, then looked around to see nothing was there. She shuddered, sheathed her sword, and walked on.  
  
She wouldn’t be caught off-guard, she was a Queen! Unlike a certain weak-willed Queen that got kidnapped by a _child_ , she would be perfectly fine! She let out a laugh at the very _thought_ of being taken as easily as Arianna had been. Movement caught her eye again and she swung her sword, stopping when she realized it was Zhan Tiri, who calmly raised an eyebrow at her until she sheathed her sword.  
  
“A little jittery tonight, Your Majesty?” She asked.  
  
“I’m just…you know what I told you earlier? About the supposed ‘true vessel’?” She shuddered at the phrase.  
  
“I do indeed recall.” Zhan Tiri said, taking her hand and walking along with her. “You fear that they may appear?”  
  
“Yes.” Cassandra nodded.  
  
“Rest at ease, Cassandra.” Zhan Tiri smiled. “’True vessel’ or not, _you_ are the one with the Moonstone, and they are merely human. You can overpower whoever it is easily and secure the Moonstone as your own forever.”  
  
“Yeah.” Cassandra nodded, then opened the door to Rapunzel’s room, walking inside. “Maybe I just need to rest.”  
  
“I have advised you to sleep.” Zhan Tiri smiled.  
  
“Yeah.” Cassandra chuckled, then heard the sound of black rocks shifting. “What the?” She ran to the balcony and gripped the railing, watching as the rocks blocking the bridge lowered, revealing a lone figure standing beyond them. Her eyes widened as she realized who it was.  
  
Varian. Varian was here, he just controlled _her rocks_ …and a streak of hair on the left side of his face was glowing the same blue color as her hair.  
  
She reached up and took the black streak of hair on the left side of her own face and she looked back at him. “…Oh. The answer was right in front of me the whole time.” She breathed.  
  
“Oh my.” Zhan Tiri said, leaning on the balcony railing. “ _This_ is an interesting development.”  
  
Cassandra’s lips curled into a grin. “Like the missing piece of a puzzle.” She stepped back, then ran at the balcony, jumping off it.  
  
Varian quickly jumped back just before she landed in front of him, a manic grin on her face. “Welcome home, Varian.” She cooed, standing up.  
  
He straightened up. “Cassandra. I’ve come to talk.”  
  
“Talk? Sure.” She grinned and flicked her wrist, closing the rock wall behind him again. “Let’s talk.”  
  
He sighed heavily. “The moonstone was never meant for you. Or Rapunzel, as you thought. Turns out, it was meant for me. Or rather, I was born for the sole purpose of being its vessel. So, I’m the true vessel, and you’re a fraud. And I’d like the Moonstone, please. Now.”  
  
“Aww, well, since you said ‘please’.” Cassandra chuckled. “Sorry, kid, but I’ve already _got_ the Moonstone so, if you want it?” She moved her hand over it. “You’re going to have to _fight_ me for it.”  
  
Varian narrowed his eyes. “Fight you?”  
  
“Yeah.” She smirked. “We’ll see who’s got a better mastery over the Moon’s powers.”  
  
Varian hesitated and she laughed. “What’s the matter? Don’t remember the incantations?”  
  
“No, it’s not that.” He frowned. “What happens if I _lose_?”  
  
“Ahhh, the boy’s asking all the right questions.” She chuckled. “If you lose, you’ll stay here with me, as the last part of the Moonstone. After all, if I win, every piece of the Moonstone belongs to me.” She reached up and cupped the glowing streak in his hair, then ran her fingers through it as she trailed her hand down. “Every. Last. Piece.”  
  
He swallowed nervously. “And, if I win, you’ll give up the Moonstone? Willingly?”  
  
“Mmhm.” Cassandra stepped back, then held out a hand. “Shake on it?”  
  
She could see the gears turning in his head. This was a dangerous gamble, one of that he absolutely had to win or else lose his freedom completely. Varian was a man of his word, she knew, so he wouldn’t go back on a promise. She took the time that he was thinking it over to really look at him, since she hadn’t bothered before. She’d seen him as just an annoying pest in her way, but who knew that he had such a secret? Possibly, not even him. His father kept secrets as tightly locked away as Pandora’s Box, and apparently his box of secrets had opened and now Varian was here.  
  
It wasn’t just his hair glowing, she noticed. His freckles were also glowing, and she wondered what _else_ was glowing right now. His already bright eyes looked even brighter, glowing a dim blue in the pale moonlight.  
  
“No going back on this.” Varian said firmly. “If I win, you give me the Moonstone.”  
  
She grinned as he clasped hands with her and they shook on it. “Great. Then, what do you say we get started?” She pulled him close to her, her free hand trailing up his neck and chin before she tapped his nose and then let him go. “I’ll let you make the first move.” She grinned. “Co-Moonstone Vessel.”  
  
He cringed, no doubt recalling when he had made that silly “Co-Lady-in-Waiting” label. “Fine.” He held out a hand. “Crescent high above.” He murmured, and she gasped as a staff formed out of the ground and in his hand. He held it up and then twirled it before taking a battle stance.  
  
“Have you even been training in that? Weren’t you training in using a dagger?” She asked, drawing her sword.  
  
“I’ve been doing extra practice with non-lethal weapons.” Varian said, swinging his staff down at her. She laughed and slashed at it with her sword, the two black rocks clanging together.  
  
“That’s the difference between me and you, kid. _I’m_ not afraid to get blood on my hands!” She summoned black rocks to knock him back and he jumped back just in time, then summoned his own to cage her. She smashed through them and then they started to move through the ruined town, trading blows with their weapons, summoning rocks to attack or bind each other, fighting under the moonlight.  
  
Zhan Tiri was right, she had nothing to fear! Especially if her opponent was this child, who was clearly hesitant to use the full potential of the rocks, who kept aiming to trap her, not hurt her. She easily dodged a row of flat rocks and slashed at him, forcing him to put up a wall of rocks to protect himself.  
  
“It’ll be a lot easier on you, kid, if you just gave up.” She said as she lowered his wall to see him running off to find cover. “You’re clearly not willing to actually hurt me, and you don’t have the experience of a fighter that I do. You’re only going to hurt yourself.” She looked around as she walked after him. “Come out, come out, wherever you are.” She taunted.  
  
She gasped sharply as a row of rocks slammed into her back and knocked her forward. “Heh. Finally getting serious?” She turned towards where they came from and then stomped her foot, making black rocks burst out of the ground at random areas. She saw him running from one of those spots and chased him down, heading into the castle courtyard.  
  
“This match is as good as won, kid!” She called, creating black-rock walls around the courtyard to block him in. “Nowhere to go.”  
  
He turned to her, but his moves were sluggish. He’d been fighting too long, at least an hour, and he was getting weak. His body was unused to fighting. Riunning and dodging, yes, but the impact of the blows, plus the use of his powers was making him weak, without the Moonstone to make him invincible. He’d lost before he even began, and she pitied him for thinking he ever had a chance. But, at the same time, she couldn’t deny the fire in his eyes, that fierce determination, even from here. He held his staff in a firm grip, even as his leg trembled. His gaze was focused on her, his eyes glowing with more than just the moon’s power. He wasn’t done yet, mentally, even if his body was reaching its limit.  
  
If only his warrior father had trained him to be a proper fighter, he might stand a chance. As it was…  
  
She sighed and flicked her wrist and he was hit in the back, making him cry out and stumble forward. His reflexes were gone, he was barely standing. She walked over and easily side-stepped any black rocks he summoned, then reached out and grabbed his staff, ripping it out of his hands and making him stumble into her. “You’ve lost, Varian. Give up.”  
  
“N-No…” He groaned, trying to push away from her. His hand rested on the Moonstone, but it wouldn’t leave Cassandra, not so long as she kept a firm grip on it with her mind. Besides, he was weak, too weak, to handle it right now. The Moonstone could see that he'd need more training before he’d be worthy.  
  
“Ah, Varian,” She cooed, taking her hands in his and binding them in black-rock cuffs, her other hand wrapping around his waist as she pulled him into a waltz, the Moonstone sparking as she danced him around the empty courtyard, the black walls giving them complete privacy – aside from above, that is – and his body starting to glow blue, his clothes changing into black, white and blue armor just like hers did, “there’s no need to be so upset about this. After all, we’re finally together. Isn’t this what you’ve always wanted?”  
  
“N-No, this…not anymore.” He clenched his teeth as she forced him to dance with her through the courtyard, his body aching as he was forcibly changed to the Moonstone’s liking, his alchemist clothes replaced by a blue tunic with black pants and white gloves, boots, belt and tiara. She put a freakin’ _tiara_ on him. Okay, so it was more of a circlet, but _still_!  
  
  
  
She finished the ensemble with a long, flowing black cape that sprouted from his white shoulder-guards and then finally released him, forcing him to stumble back, his wrists still bound in black rock.  
  
“Well, shall we go inside?” She asked, flicking her wrist and dropping the walls from around the courtyard. Then she walked over and grabbed his arm, forcing him to walk up the stairs with her into the castle.  
  
“Can you at least remove the cuffs?” He asked.  
  
“Mmm, we’ll see.” She gasped. “Oh! I have something for you!” She pulled him along to the throne room and he stumbled to keep up with her pace. She threw open the door and walked in, grinning. “Faith!”  
  
“Faith?” He breathed.  
  
“Varian?”  
  
He looked over and saw her chained to a wall by her ankle. Letting out a feral growl, he focused and broke the cuffs before he ran to Faith’s side and summoned a black rock to smash through the chain on her ankle before he pulled her close.  
  
“Nice.” Cassandra said, watching as he checked the girl over. “Where was that feral spirit when we were fighting?”  
  
“Are you okay, did she hurt you?” He asked, ignoring Cassandra.  
  
“N-No, I’m okay. Varian, what is…?” She reached up to his glowing hair.  
  
“Yeah, uh, long story. Thumbnail, I’m the Moonstone. Apparently. But Cassandra won’t give it to me, so I tried to fight her for it and lost so now I’m…” he cringed, “her _property_?”  
  
“Oh, Varian…” Faith sighed and held him closer.  
  
He wrapped his arms tighter around her. “Yeah, I know…I was reckless…”  
  
Cassandra frowned, feeling annoyed at being ignored and a tad jealous of the fact that Faith was so casually touching _her_ Moonstone. “I’ll let you keep her as an attendant, and someone to talk to. I noticed you don’t have your raccoon, and you don’t do well with being left on your own.”  
  
Varian glared at her over his shoulder. “Leave. Her. Alone.”  
  
Cassandra walked over and knelt next to him. “I will, provided you do as you’re told. Now, go and get some rest. The eclipse is tomorrow and we have lots to do to prepare.”  
  
Varian slowly stood up, helping Faith up as he did so. “Come on.” He said quietly to her before they headed out of a side room.  
  
Cassandra watched them go, then sighed. “He’s going to try to run away, isn’t he?”  
  
“Oh, definitely.” Lucas said, appearing beside her.  
  
“Well, maybe a little exercise will put him to bed.” Cassandra sighed heavily. “Don’t make it easy for him. Tell the others.”  
  
Lucas bowed and disappeared.  
  
“I am surprised you do not have him on a leash and collar and on your person at all times.” Zhan Tiri said, walking up to her.  
  
“Heh, what’s the fun in that? Besides,” she knelt down to pick up his broken cuffs. “Piss him off enough, he’ll smash through.” She dropped them to the floor and walked off after the teenagers.  
  
He'd learn his place soon enough. As he said, his _sole reason for being born_ was to be the Moonstone’s vessel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that didn't go so well, but Varian has renewed determination!
> 
> ((A/N: Need to draw Varian's completed Moon Outfit. Will do that when my art block goes away.))


	49. Trapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Varian's not having a good time in Cassandra's custody. Rapunzel and the others discuss what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Varian didn’t intend to break his promise and leave, he just wanted to get Faith out of there. Not that you could convince Cassandra of that, despite his best efforts. They had been running for a half-hour now, dodging Disciples and Cassandra herself as they tried to find any exit.  
  
“Come on!” He pulled Faith along and pushed open the doors to the vault, where he opened the trapdoor to the tunnels. “Faith, you first.”  
  
She nodded and climbed down, Varian following after her. Then he closed the trapdoor behind them and went down the ladder after her until they reached the bottom.  
  
“Where to now?” She asked fearfully.  
  
“This way.” He took her hand and pulled her along, carefully avoiding the traps as he led her to the exit.  
  
“BOO!” Tromus popped out of the ceiling and laughed as they fell back in alarm. “Ah, I haven’t done this kind of thing in _years_! You know that you’re not getting out, right?”  
  
Varian growled and got up, helping Faith up, and walked past him. “I’m not _leaving_ , I’m just saving Faith from being _stuck_ here with _her_!”  
  
“Noble, but pointless. The girl is far too useful to let go.” Tromus moved in front of them again. “So, I shall have to frighten you back up the tunnel.”  
  
Varian held out his hand and created a staff from black rocks. “Bring it.”  
  
Faith hid behind him, shivering.  
  
“Come now, there’s no need for that.”  
  


Varian tensed and Faith clung to him fearfully, neither of them daring to look behind them. “Now, you’re clearly exhausted, both of you have been up all day and are on the verge of collapse. Even if you get outside, you won’t get across the water and Sugracha and Mother Bird are on the bridge.”  
  
Varian glanced behind him as Lucas offered a hand to them. “Let me show you to your rooms.” He smiled. “My runaway little birds.”  
  
Faith sighed. “He’s right, Varian. We’re only fooling ourselves. They’re not even _human_ , and they can keep doing going after us, and my…my legs are so sore from all the running…and I’m hungry…”  
  
Varian clenched his fists, then sighed. “Fine. Fine. She wins. We’ll go back.”  
  
“Excellent.” Tromus smiled smugly and then he and Lucas escorted them back up through the tunnel and into the vault.  
  
“Had a nice trip in the tunnels?” Cassandra asked as they came out of the trapdoor.  
  
“I told you, I wasn’t running away. I was just trying to get _her_ out.” Varian said, holding Faith protectively.  
  
“Couldn’t take any chances. Besides, can’t let go of a useful pawn like her.” Cassandra turned to go. “Head to bed, you know where your room is.”  
  
“U-Uhm…” Faith squeaked.  
  
“Cassandra…she hasn’t eaten all day.” Varian said, looking at Faith. “Can we have food first? You did run us out before dinner, too, so I…”  
  
“Should’ve thought of _that_ before you ran off.” Cassandra raised an eyebrow, then laughed and walked over to him. “Don’t give me that look, I’m just teasing. C’mon, let’s go to the kitchen and we’ll get you both some food.” She patted his cheek and then grabbed his hand, pulling him along with Faith trailing behind like a pull-toy.  
  
Varian sighed heavily and let her pull him along.  
  
“But, first, there’s something we need to do.” Cassandra said slyly.  
  
\--  
  
“It’s been too long.” Rapunzel said grimly. They had hoped, when they saw signs of the battle stopping, that Varian would return to them. “Eugene…we have to go find out what happened.” She looked at him.  
  
“We’re going with you.” Juniper and Andrew walked up to them.  
  
Rapunzel nodded and they headed off together, heading for one of the secret ways into the city that Eugene knew about but most Royal Guard didn’t – especially not Cassandra.   
  
Once in, they crept around carefully, but Rapunzel almost screamed when she felt something brush against her leg – until she looked down and realized Ruddiger was back in his raccoon form and had come after them. “Oh, buddy, I know.” She said softly. “I’m worried about him, too.”  
  
Pascal squeaked his agreement, and then Ruddiger climbed up onto Andrew’s shoulders as they continued on.  
  
It was hard to tell what was from their battle before and what was from Varian’s battle after, especially since she didn’t see any of it and couldn’t even hear it once they left the area near the wall. They guess the battle was over from the lack of clouds of dust being thrown in the air and the black rocks jutting up in the castle courtyard, which they could see from their vantage point. Rapunzel wished she’d brought her binoculars with her when they fled, but a sudden evacuation was just that, sudden.  
  
They carefully made their way through town and then to the castle courtyard. “I wonder where everyone is?” She whispered.  
  
They could hear someone speaking and as they got closer, they saw Cassandra standing on the balcony in front of the throne room, with her arm around Varian, who was looking miserable and wearing strange clothes.  
  
“…missing piece of my Moonstone, isn’t that funny? So, it was just fate that he happened to come to me tonight, just as that old Seer said! And now I’m here to announce to all of you that your Queen will have a Prince Consort!”  
  
“Cassandra, what the heck?” Eugene breathed.  
  
“Anyways, our wedding will be shortly after the eclipse, so prepare gifts and stuff. You can go back to bed now! Prepare for the eclipse, it’s going to be amaziiiing!” Cassandra grabbed Varian’s arm and pulled him inside with her and the doors slammed shut.  
  
“Seriously… _why_?” Juniper looked at Andrew.  
  
“She didn’t seem so _insane_ in her letters. Then again, she never mentioned being able to _fight_ , either.” Andrew sighed.  
  
“What is she _thinking_?” Eugene cringed as Ruddiger made angry chittering sounds.  
  
Rapunzel closed her eyes. “There _has_ to be more to this. Cassandra wouldn’t…she wouldn’t do this to Varian.”  
  
“Really? Because it looks to _me_ like she’s just following in her mother’s footsteps, only making him her underage groom instead of her son.” Eugene looked at her. “Face it, Sunshine, she’s lost her mind completely. We need to get back and make a plan.”  
  
Rapunzel pursed her lips and nodded, then gasped sharply as a hand touched her shoulder before she turned to see Kline behind her. “Kline!” She breathed. “Oh, thank the Sun you’re alright!” She threw her arms around him.  
  
He smiled a bit, then looked past them at the courtyard, which was emptying of people. “I barely got away; the Disciples were all distracted. We should go, now.”  
  
They nodded and headed back out the way they’d come. Ruddiger squirmed and then hopped down from Andrew’s shoulders.  
  
“Ruddiger?” Rapunzel looked at him.  
  
He stared up at her, then signed “I” and then “stay” with his little raccoon hands before he ran off.  
  
“Wait, but—” Rapunzel started, and then they heard voices and quickly left before they were caught.  
  
\--  
  
Ruddiger stopped and looked back at them as they fled and then sighed before he crept out to the voices, to the Disciples herding people back to their homes.  
  
“Whoa, hey.” He looked up as Lucas drew the others’ attention over. “Look who finally came crawling back.”  
  
“Literally.” Mother Bird chortled.  
  
Ruddiger narrowed his eyes at them, then yelped as he was lifted up by the scruff of the neck by Lucas. “Well, let’s take you inside and see about what’s to be done with you, hm?” The man said as he carried him into the castle, leaving the others to continue their herding.  
  
He carried him all the way to the throne room and then dropped him on the floor.  
  
“Ruddiger!” Varian ran to him instantly and pulled him close.  
  
“Did I interrupt something?” Lucas asked casually.  
  
“Just me asking him what kind of throne he wanted.” Cassandra shrugged. “His raccoon finally showed up?”  
  
Varian glared at them both and got up to take Ruddiger to the side where Faith was forced to sit and wait for their conversation to be over. “You okay, Ruddiger?”  
  
Ruddiger nuzzled his hand and then looked up at Faith worriedly. She smiled and stroked his fur.  
  
“Well, now.”  
  
They all tensed and looked over at Zhan Tiri left her place by the throne to approach them. “It has been a very long time since we met face-to-face, Regulus.” She cooed.  
  
He hissed at her and climbed up to curl around Varian’s shoulders protectively.  
  
“Oh, how rude. And here I was thinking of returning you to your rightful form.” Zhan Tiri examined her gloves.  
  
Ruddiger tensed and Varian frowned. “Why?”  
  
“It was Cassandra’s idea, actually. She thought he’d be easier to converse with in human form.” She shrugged. “I also honestly prefer him as a human myself, but lessons had to be learned.”  
  
“Jokes on her, he can’t speak as a human so he’s _still_ signing.” Varian looked at Ruddiger and stroked his fur soothingly.  
  
“Hm. Well, what does Regulus want?” She cooed.  
  
“Ruddiger.” Varian looked at her sharply. “His name is Ruddiger now.”  
  
“It’s something to get used to.” Lucas shrugged.  
  
“Well, then what does _Ruddiger_ want?” The demon asked with all the patience built up from centuries in another dimension.  
  
Varian looked at Ruddiger again, who looked thoughtful before he nuzzled him and then climbed down into his lap and then the floor, staring up at her. Zhan Tiri knelt in front of him and he started to sign “change”, “me”, “keep”, “ears”, and “tail”.  
  
“Hm…” Zhan Tiri’s brow furrowed. “I don’t quite understand this…language.” She admitted.  
  
“He wants you to change him, but keep the ears and tail like Kline does.” Varian translated.  
  
“I was just going to remove the curse.” Zhan Tiri admitted. “But…well, for old times’ sake.” She reached out and Ruddiger tensed. “Oh, come now, you know I need to touch you for this.”  
  
Varian knelt down and stroked his fur soothingly. “You can still refuse.” He said gently.  
  
Ruddiger paused. He’d grown fond of having human abilities again, thanks to Kline’s help, but…he still didn’t want this demon to touch him. But, she was the only one who could remove the curse fully. He let out a dejected sigh and stepped closer to her, closing his eyes.  
  
“There’s no need to be so dramatic.” Cassandra said, having come over to join them.  
  
“Coming from _you_?” Varian shot her a look.  
  
“Now, _darling_ , let’s not start off our relationship with a fight.” She said in an extra-sweet way.  
  
Varian sighed and backed down, focusing on Zhan Tiri slowly stroking her hands down Ruddiger’s sides and back and everywhere else before she went back up to his face, his body glowing green, then purple, then white as he started to change form in front of them as soon as her hands left him.  
  
Varian sighed as he looked at the young man sitting on the floor in front of them. Ruddiger reached up and made a face and Zhan Tiri rolled her eyes before she touched his head and then went around to touch his tailbone, creating the requested ears and tail. He looked back at his wagging tail and then nodded firmly before getting up, Varian getting up with him.  
  
“I think that’s enough excitement for one night. Head to your rooms, I’ll see you for breakfast.” Cassandra leaned over to kiss Varian and he turned his head, forcing her to kiss his cheek instead. “Heh, shy.” He rubbed his head, then walked off. “Sleep well.”  
  
Varian shuddered. “She’s completely deranged.” He muttered.  
  
Zhan Tiri hummed. “She’s just excited, I’m sure it will calm down after the wedding.”  
  
“I’m sixteen!” He protested. “I shouldn’t be getting married!”  
  
“That’s old enough to marry.” Zhan Tiri walked away. “Besides, you don’t have much choice in the matter, do you? You made a promise.”  
  
Varian cringed. “…Yeah, I know.”  
  
Faith took his hand. “Varian…let’s just head to our rooms.”  
  
Ruddiger nodded, signing “I stay with you”. Varian nodded and they walked off, Varian barely sparing Lucas a glance.  
  
“Sleep well, little bird.” Lucas called after them, then chuckled. “You’re gonna _need_ it.”  
  
\--  
  
“Kline!” Keira cried with relief as they came back into the Snuggly Duckling. “You’re alright!”  
  
“I wish the same could be said for Varian.” Kline said grimly. “I only managed to evade capture because the Disciples and that demon whore were all distracted with Cassandra announcing her intent to marry the boy after the eclipse tomorrow.”  
  
“Isn’t she, like, super-old?” Catalina asked.  
  
“Hey, she’s only as old as me!” Andrew frowned at her. She giggled so hard she fell off her stool.  
  
“Kline, did you _know_ this would happen?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
He sighed. “As the True Seer, I cannot stop events from proceeding. I can only advise and, occasionally, fix time-traveling mishaps. Before I drank the poisoned wine, I advised her to stop what she was doing. She refused, so I allowed it to progress. And, even if I _did_ try to stop her, I would not have won, and she would have simply started her attack much sooner. Compared to the Moonstone, I am…” he sighed, “weaker.”  
  
“Well, you’re here now. Which means we have a better chance against the demon.” Rapunzel nodded firmly. “Leave Cassandra to me.”  
  
“No.” Kline said firmly. “No, if you face her, you _will_ lose. Do you know what will _happen_ to you during the eclipse?”  
  
Rapunzel’s brow furrowed. “Uhm…”  
  
“When the moon covers the sun in the sky, the Sundrop will lose its power, and the Moonstone will grow stronger. You will be powerless, and she will be invincible. The best course of action is to avoid the eclipse altogether.” Kline advised.  
  
“But, what would happen to Varian?” Rapunzel asked anxiously.  
  
Kline was silent, the implication was clear. The wedding would proceed as planned, and Cassandra would force him into a loveless marriage. Rapunzel sighed heavily, walking over to look out the window. This wasn’t just about her Kingdom anymore. This was about her friend being trapped just like she had been. Eugene was right, this was no different than when Gothel had her locked away, all because of her powers. Granted, there would probably be a few extra, uh, _details_ involved in that marriage, but it was close enough!  
  
She clenched her fists. “Powers or no powers, I _refuse_ to let Cassandra take my Kingdom and home from me and put my friend through that _torment_. We need to take her DOWN.”  
  
“What if we just crashed the wedding?” Lance suggested. “I mean, it’s taking place _after_ the eclipse, right? So, we wouldn’t have to worry about the whole Sundrop not working thing.”  
  
“You think she’d _let_ us do that? She seems to have put a lot of effort into this whole eclipse thing.” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“I think that would be the wisest course of action.” King Frederic nodded. “It also gives us more time to prepare. We can go to Varian’s lab in Old Corona and get more of his amber solution to take down the walls.”  
  
“I was actually planning to sneak in through the tunnels, but _that_ would certainly get her attention.” Rapunzel said thoughtfully.  
  
“Yeah, uh, I think we’re all overlooking something kind of important?” Juniper looked around. “We still have the _demon_ and her _followers_ to contend with. And Ruddiger decided to go and be Varian’s emotional support or something.”  
  
“I’m sure he needs it about now, my poor boy must be _terrified_.” Quirin said glumly over his drink. King Edmund gently patted his back.  
  
“Not to mention, we still have to get the Mindtrap and destroy it.” Eugene nodded. “But, we can’t do any of this without any sleep, so we should sleep now and plan in the morning.”  
  
The door opened and they all looked over in alarm to see a woman coming in with a monkey wearing a turban.  
  
“Are we late?” Madam Canardist asked in her usual brusque way, Vigor on her shoulder.  
  
“You’re here!” Rapunzel ran to her.  
  
“Vigor insisted we come.” She rolled her eyes and set the monkey down, who scampered over to Rapunzel and climbed onto her shoulder. “Seems your Kingdom is in trouble?”  
  
“Yes. Uhm…is there any way we could…” She looked at Vigor. “Are you still _in_ there?” She asked anxiously.  
  
“What is it?” Kline asked.  
  
“Well, uh…Demanitus put his mind into this monkey, and _sometimes_ it comes out to the front and…” Rapunzel turned to face him and saw his expression was a mixture of incredulous and on the verge of laughter.  
  
“Him and his _monkeys_ …” Kline brought a hand to his face. “Alright, hand him over.” He held out an arm and Vigor hopped onto it. “Clementine, help me out with this.” He walked off with Vigor and Clementine followed.  
  
“So…are we skipping the eclipse? Yes? No?” Lance asked.  
  
“Let’s sleep on it.” Rapunzel turned back to Madam Canardist. “Uhm, I don’t have silver coins to give you right now, but—”  
  
Eugene walked over and handed her a sack. “This should be enough to compensate for us borrowing the monkey.”  
  
Madam Canardist opened the sack and starting rifling through it. “Hm. I will be in my caravan when this is over.” She walked out of the building and shut the door behind her.  
  
“Thanks.” Rapunzel looked at Eugene.  
  
“Thank the pub, they offered it.” Eugene smiled back at the thugs and Lance.  
  
Rapunzel smiled. “Thank you, everyone.” She turned to them. “Now, let’s all get some rest so we can wake up bright and early tomorrow! We have a Kingdom to take back!”  
  
“And a wedding to ruin! Again!” Lance laughed.  
  
“Hey, yeah, you know what? I can _totally_ dig the idea of crashing Cassandra’s one-sided wedding; she crashed _my_ one-sided one.” Eugene grinned.  
  
“Let’s go to Old Corona for now and get some rest in proper beds.” Queen Arianna stood up.  
  
They all nodded and filed out, leaving the Saporian mages to do their magic thing with Vigor.  
  
\--  
  
“Mistress,” Tromus said as the Disciples all gathered before Zhan Tiri, “I did not catch much of what they were saying, forgive me, but it seems they intend to not come during the eclipse itself, and instead attack during the wedding after.”  
  
Zhan Tiri clicked her tongue and turned away. “Yes, I _thought_ that might happen when I read Regulus’ mind and found that they had seen the announcement. I may have to urge Cassandra to move the wedding to the eclipse itself. After all, it _is_ when the moon is strongest. A fitting time for the two Moonstone vessels to…tie the knot.” She turned to them. “We have much to prepare for. Kline is with them now, so we should not take the risk and attempt to spy on them.”  
  
“There is another thing.” Tromus said calmly. “It seems the Demanitus still lives, in a way. His mind is inside the body of a body, sharing its body.”  
  
“A monkey?” She turned away. “…That man and his monkeys…” She sighed heavily. “Well, then this will be…an interesting reunion indeed.” She chuckled and walked over to look out at the moon. “Yes…isn’t it better, after all, to have the wedding _during_ the eclipse?” She reached out a hand and grasped at the moon with a serene smile on her face. “Here comes the bride.”  
  
The Disciples laughed as her shadow stretched out behind her, large and menacing with goat-horns and a malicious smile.  
  
\--  
  
Ruddiger shuddered as he sat on the edge of Varian’s bed, then looked at his poor little friend. He'd grown so tired out from everything today that by the time he got to his bed, he’d promptly passed out. He adjusted his blanket, then curled up against his back, wrapping an arm around him like he’d seen Andrew do before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do ya' hear that sound?  
> That beautiful sound  
> The sound of a super evil plan going down  
> Being bad rocks  
> She's in for a shock  
> As soon as she lifts the lid on  
> Pandora's Box!
> 
> ((A/N: Hope people aren't too freaked out by this drastic shift in canon. XD))


	50. Invite

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A wedding, a wedding, we're going to have a wedding!  
> Earlier than originally planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Varian sighed heavily as he looked in the mirror the next morning. Yes, he was still Cassandra’s captive, his stupid hair was stuck permanently glowing, and he was wearing a circlet he couldn’t remove. Which of course meant the _rest_ of the night was real, too. He groaned and leaned his head against the glass with a groan.  
  
Marriage? To _Cassandra_? When he was fourteen, he might’ve been excited at the idea. But now, with everything they’d been through and how he felt about her now? It was the _worst_. Nevermind the fact that he was still underage and no matter _what_ Zhan Tiri or whoever seemed to think, this was illegal! Yes, there was a “can get married at sixteen with parents’ permission” thing but, last he checked, his dad didn’t say Cassandra could marry him!  
  
Dad…he sighed, running his hands over his face. The last time he’d seen him was when he’d finally told him the truth. Varian was so _sure_ that the Moonstone would just… _go_ to him, but apparently things weren’t so simple. Because of course they weren’t, it never _was_ simple with magic.  
  
Magic. Talk to fourteen-year-old Varian that never met Rapunzel and tell him that he was magical and, yeah, he’d look at you like you’re crazy. His father was right, he wouldn’t have believed it until he was _brought_ to the blasted rock.  
  
He ran his hand through his glowing bangs and straightened up. Today was the eclipse and his…wedding, right after. He groaned and hung his head again, gripping the dresser his mirror was resting on. “This can’t be happening…”  
  
“Moaning and groaning doesn’t make reality any less real, little bird.”  
  
He looked up and sighed heavily, seeing Lucas leaning on his doorway. “I’m surprised you’re not objecting to this.”  
  
“Heh, don’t worry about me.” Lucas walked into the room, but Ruddiger got up and moved in his way, letting out a low hiss and moving his hands aggressively. “Wow, okay, _rude_. Anyways, _Your Highness_ , your bride-to-be wanted me to come and get you for breakfast.”  
  
Varian sighed. He couldn’t put this off, who _knew_ what she’d do if he kept her waiting. He dejectedly turned and walked over to the door. “Fine. Let’s go.”  
  
He chuckled and patted his shoulder as he led him along, Ruddiger following right behind. They stopped at a door and Lucas knocked twice before it opened and Faith stepped out, looking terrified and not in her maid outfit but a pretty blue dress. She moved to Varian’s side and Lucas nodded before they walked on to the dining room.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra was waiting for them when they arrived, Zhan Tiri and the others already all gathered around the table. At Lucas’ direction, they took seats next to each other and Varian made a point of not looking at Cassandra.  
  
“Did you sleep well?” She asked him cheerfully.  
  
He glanced at her coldly. “Well enough, all things considered.”  
  
“Hey, you agreed to the terms. It’s not _my_ fault you were dumb enough to fight a battle you couldn’t win.” Cassandra cut into her meat. “You still eat meat, right? I know the Saporians don’t, so…”  
  
“Yeah.” He sighed and started to eat.  
  
“So, Zhan Tiri and I were talking earlier, and we’ve decided it would be _so_ much more romantic and perfect to have the wedding _during_ the eclipse.” Varian started to violently cough. “Don’t choke on your food, baby.”  
  
“ _Why_?” He looked at her in disbelief.  
  
“Because it’s perfect.” Cassandra grinned. “And don’t you want our wedding to be perfect?”  
  
“I don’t want it to happen at _all_!” Varian set down his fork. “I agreed to _stay_ with you, not to _marry_ you!”  
  
“Well, see, I have my reasons for this. Hear me out.” Cassandra set her fork and knife down and laced her hands together. “The way I figure it, the _only_ way I can get full control over every piece of the Moonstone is by…well, _merging_ with you, in a way. And I figured we could get married first.”  
  
“You’re insane. You’re officially insane. You’ve completely lost your mind!” He shook his head. “The Cassandra I knew wouldn—”  
  
“’The Cassandra I knew’? Varian, you barely _knew_ me before, what makes you think you know _anything_ about me?” She sighed. “But, let’s not start this day on such a negative note. We have to prepare for the wedding, after all! And if Rapunzel shows up, well, she’ll be powerless.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Varian frowned.  
  
“As the eclipse goes on, the Sundrop will gradually lose its power until it’s completely gone for as long as the moon covers the sun, and _we_ will be more powerful than _ever_.” Cassandra grinned. “Then I can take the Sundrop from her and maybe, if you’re _good_ , I’ll let you have the Moonstone after a while.” She winked at him.  
  
He cringed. He didn’t need a translation for what she meant by “good”, he spent almost year in prison learning certain inflections and their meanings and then Juniper hadn’t exactly been shy about her dirty jokes.  
  
“I’m sixteen.” He reminded her. “Even if we get married, we can’t do anything until I’m eighteen, it’s the law.”  
  
“Varian,” Cassandra raised an eyebrow, “I’m the _Queen_. _I_ make the laws now.”  
  
Right. How could he forget about _that_ little detail?  
  
“So, should we send your father an official invite?” Cassandra asked casually. “Or should I have him come here by controlling him with the Mindtrap?” She paused. “Though, I _have_ been having trouble keeping control of him, probably because of _you_.”  
  
He looked thoughtful. Sending his father an invite would for sure let Rapunzel know of the change of time. And powerless or not, Rapunzel could fight and she had Eugene and the others with her. “Yeah.” He nodded.  
  
“Good.” Cassandra nodded. “After we eat, I want you to write up an invitation, which I will look over before sending, and then we have a wedding to prepare for!”  
  
“Don’t we have to, you know, get a dress and tux or whatever?” He frowned. “Can we _do_ that in one day?”  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ll just use the Moonstone to adjust our clothes accordingly.” Cassandra assured him.  
  
“Why do _I_ have to write the invite?” Varian frowned.  
  
“Becaaaaaause,” she clicked her tongue, “if _you_ write it, then they’ll think that you _want_ it, and then they won’t ruin it because they won’t want to hurt your feelings.”  
  
“Sound logic.” Zhan Tiri remarked.  
  
Ruddiger glared at her and signed “quiet” before looking at Varian and signing “do not give up”.  
  
Varian sighed. “Okay, then. I’ll make the invite.”  
  
“Great.” Cassandra grinned.  
  
\--  
  
“No. Not great.” Varian groaned as he sat at his desk, a quill and scroll in front of him, ready for him to write the horrific wedding invitation. “How am I supposed to seem all for it enough to trick Cassandra, but also beg to be rescued?”  
  
Ruddiger shrugged, his ears and tail drooping. Varian sighed and nodded. “Yeah, me too, buddy.”  
  
He hoped Faith was okay. Cassandra had whisked her away to be her Maid-of-Honor right after breakfast, and he _hated_ the thought of her being anywhere _near_ his friend after what she did to her.  
  
He sighed and picked up his quill. ‘This isn’t being written by itself.’ He thought, starting to write.  
  
“’Dad, I know this is sudden, but’…” He sighed and shifted in his seat.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel sighed as she looked over the Sundrop monument. In a matter of hours, she would lose her powers, for the duration of the eclipse. Everyone seemed to be all for avoiding it entirely and just crashing the wedding that would take place afterwards.  
  
“There’s _got_ to be a way to _fix_ all this, Pascal…” She said grimly. “Cassandra hasn’t been acting like herself, it’s like…it’s like the Moonstone has taken over her body. Why else would she force Varian to…to _marry_ her?” She clutched at her chest, feeling the same sick feeling she had when she heard Eugene’s and Stalyan’s wedding announcement come creeping in. “The Cassandra I knew wouldn’t _do_ this. I’m sure, once we get that thing off her…she’ll come to her senses.”  
  
“Did I ever tell you about the biggest fight your aunt and I ever had?” Queen Arianna walked up behind her. Rapunzel turned to her. “We were just teenagers, but Willow was _so mad_ , she actually built a brick wall in the middle of our bedroom.” She laughed a bit.  
  
Rapunzel gasped in disbelief. “What?” She laughed a bit.  
  
“I’m not kidding!” Queen Arianna walked over and placed her hand on her shoulder. “Your grandfather nearly lost his mind!” She knocked her forehead against Rapunzel’s. “I tried talking her through the wall, slipping notes between its cracks, but she refused to talk to me.”  
  
Rapunzel chuckled. “What did you wind up doing?”  
  
“I got a hammer,” she mimed swinging a hammer, “and I knocked that wall down.” She straightened up. “But, after that, Willow saw how much working things out meant to me. How I wouldn’t let _anything_ stand between us.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and glanced away. She wondered if it was as simple as that for her and Cassandra. A little show of force and she’d listen? Had Rapunzel just been too…passive? Had she not been forceful enough? She had been so reluctant to do anything, she’d let Cassandra hurt so many people before she finally told Varian to fire…  
  
“Rapunzel,” her mother gently cupped her cheek, “if you want Cassandra to listen to you, you’re going to have to work for it.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded solemnly. “Do you think I can convince her to stop?”  
  
“I think that it _has_ to be _you_ who tries.” She smiled and kissed her cheek. “But, we are _all_ here to support you.”  
  
Rapunzel smiled and nodded. “I know. Thanks, mom.”  
  
Queen Arianna smiled and walked away. Pascal squeaked encouragingly to Rapunzel and she looked at him. “She’s right, Pascal. To Cassandra, I started this fight. I have to be the one to finish it.” She clutched at her chest. “Even if I have to take a hammer and smash down her walls to get her to listen.”  
  
She followed her mother back. “And I’m not giving up until she does.”  
  
They got on Maximus and Fidella and took off to the Snuggly Duckling, where everywhere was waiting for them. When they got there, they found Quirin holding a scroll with Eugene looking over his shoulder. “Quirin?” Rapunzel went to him.  
  
“Blondie, it’s from Varian.” Eugene said, turning to her.  
  
“What is it?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“It’s a wedding invitation.” Quirin said grimly. “They’re having it _during_ the eclipse.”  
  
“Well, so much for avoiding the eclipse.” Brock remarked.  
  
“Okay, so, we still have time. First of all, we need to focus on what our options are.” Rapunzel said firmly.  
  
“That’s right.” They turned to see Vigor walking over to them with Kline and Clementine behind him. “First things first, I need to go to my tomb and collect the blueprints for the portal I used long ago. I don’t need too big a group, I think the Saporians here will suffice. While I do that, someone should see about going up into that tower and finding and _destroying_ the Mindtrap.” He paused. “Yes, I’m a talking monkey. Get used to it.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “Everyone, this is Demanitus. Remember how I said he put his mind in a monkey?”  
  
“Ohhh…” Was the collectively shared sentiment around the pub.  
  
“Yes, yes. Now that we’ve covered that, can we get back to the plan?” Demanitus asked impatiently.  
  
“Right, yes, okay.” Rapunzel nodded. “So, blueprints, Mindtrap…” She looked thoughtful. “Someone should sneak into the city with a Communication Mirror to spy on what’s going on for us.”  
  
“We can do that!” Kiera said, holding up a hand.  
  
“Great!” Rapunzel nodded. “And we need anyone else to see what they can make sense of in Varian’s notes in his lab to make goo bombs, amber bombs, whatever else you think might be of use. Who is going after the Mindtrap?”  
  
“I better oversee the lab.” Quirin cringed. “Varian would throw a _fit_ if his lab was a mess when he got back, and I know a little bit of what he has. A little bit. I mean, Ulla tried to teach me before…”  
  
“Great. Then that means it’s me, Brock and dad to go get the Mindtrap!” Eugene said cheerfully.  
  
“Wait, you’re roping me into this? I don’t know about you, man, but I’m not inclined to climbing towers.” Brock frowned.  
  
“Don’t tell me my little brother is scared of heights?” Eugene teased.  
  
“Okay, first of all, rude. Second, we don’t know who was born first!” Brock frowned.  
  
“And, until we _do_ , I maintain it was _me_.” Eugene said smugly. “By the way, we had a birthday recently.”  
  
“What? I thought I still had a couple months to go!” Brock pouted.  
  
“We’ll make up for it.” Eugene patted his shoulder. “So, anything else we need to get ready?”  
  
“Well,” Rapunzel looked thoughtful, “it _is_ a wedding. Let’s see if Keira and Catalina can sneak in a few…gifts.” She grinned.  
  
They looked at each other in confusion and she hummed a little laugh. “I’ve been doing a little bit of tinkering of my _own_.”  
  
“I guess we’ll find out. For now, we have our assignments, we have limited time to get them done, let’s do this!” Eugene declared.  
  
Rapunzel smiled as everyone cheered around her. “ _Time now to fight, let’s turn our losing streak around. Rise and unite, let’s do what we must do._ ” She walked over to stand on the stage. “ _If we’re to win, we can’t turn back or sneak around. Once we begin, the only way is through!_ ”  
  
She turned to them with a flourish and threw out her hand. _“Through the fire! Through the rain! We’ll face whatever the fates may bring and tear through every wall_! _”_ She leapt off the stage. “ _Through the fear, through the pain! And, as one, we will rise marching tall!_ ” She turned to her people. “ _Through it all_.”  
  
“We can’t fail this mission. There’s _far_ too much at stake, our homes, our Kingdom, _Varian_ , we _can’t_ let Zhan Tiri and Cassandra have their way!” She said firmly.  
  
“That’s right!” Eugene got up on the bar and drew his sword. “ _Time now to stand!_ ”  
  
“ _Let’s save our home and take it back!_ ” Frederic chimed in, taking Rapunzel’s hand.  
  
“ _At your command_!” Lance joined.  
  
“ _I’m in!_ ” Attila spoke up.  
  
“ _And me!_ ” Vladimir declared.  
  
“ _Me too!_ ” Shorty held up a hand before tripping and falling on his face.  
  
“ _Onward we ride!_ ” Brock got up next to his brother, throwing out a hand. “ _Who knows if we will make it back?_ ” He brought his fist to rest on his chest.  
  
“ _We’re at your side._ ” Queen Arianna took Rapunzel’s other hand with a smile.  
  
“ _Together, we’ll come through!_ ” Rapunzel declared.  
  
“ _Through the strife! Through the fray!_ ” Everyone sang at once.  
  
“ _We can’t hold back in this time of need!_ ” Juniper drew her sword.  
  
“ _We all must heed the call!_ ” Andrew stood back-to-back with his sister, his own sword drawn.  
  
“ _Through the dark to the day!_ ” Everyone sang together. “ _And as one, we will rise, marching tall!_ ”  
  
“ _Through it all!_ ” Rapunzel sang.  
  
“ _Time now to fight, to face whatever fate may bring!_ ” The entire bar sang.  
  
“ _Through it all!_ ” Rapunzel repeated, throwing her hands in the air.  
  
“ _Right over might, till victory and freedom ring_ _!”  
  
“_ _Through it all!_ _” Rapunzel went to Eugene who climbed down to take her hands in his as they started to dance in the middle of the bar.  
  
_ _“_ _Stand and unite, for home and heart, for land and king!_ _The bar continued._ _“_ _For love and life and everything!_ _”_ _  
  
“_ _Through it all!_ _” Rapunzel sang.  
  
“_ _Through it all!_ _” The others around them all sang.  
  
“_ _Through it all!_ _” Rapunzel and Eugene sang in unison.  
  
_ _“Through it all!_ _” Everyone, including Rapunzel and Eugene, sang together. “_ _Through it aaaaaaaaall!”_ _  
  
“Now, let’s go crash that wedding!” Eugene said, throwing his fist in the air.  
_ _  
_“YEAH!” They all cheered and headed out for their respective tasks.  
  
Rapunzel went to where they could see the city. “Hang in there, Varian. We’re coming.” She said, clenching her fists.  
  
\--  
  
In terms of getting ready for his wedding, Varian didn’t really have to do much. He sighed as he walked the empty halls of the castle, well aware that the reason it was so empty was because Cassandra had imprisoned anyone that stood against her – but she’d be nice enough to let them out for the wedding, provided they were on their best behavior.  
  
Ruddiger was at his aside, s always, and he made a sympathetic noise as Varian stopped to look out a window.  
  
“I don’t know what’s wrong with her, Ruddiger.” Varian sighed. “She’s…this is too drastic a change. There _has_ to be more to this.” He pursed his lips, looking out the window. The sky was starting to darken as the moon crept ever closer to the sun. The eclipse was coming and, with it, his wedding. He groaned and rested his head on the glass.  
  
Ruddiger patted his shoulder comfortingly.  
  
“There you are.”  
  
Varian groaned and looked over to see Tromus walking up to him in his human form. “What?”  
  
“’What’, is it?” The man scoffed. “So irritable, how like a child. We have to get you ready for the wedding.”  
  
“What is there to do?” Varian rolled his eyes. “I don’t need to worry about my clothes, apparently.” He looked at his white tunic with distaste. Cassandra had changed him into something similar to his Royal Advisor outfit, only it was white and blue instead of black and blue. Also, it was magic clothes. He hoped that his clothes would return to normal when this was all over, he _hated_ being in the Moonstone “armor”. His hair was tied back with a white ribbon, which shimmered like his tunic, of course, and he tugged at his blue gloves uncomfortably.  
  
The man sighed heavily. “Well, for starters, you need to learn your vows.”  
  
“My what?” Varian looked at her.  
  
“Your vows.” Tromus raised an eyebrow. “Has no one told you about this, boy? Well, now is a good time to learn. Come along.” He walked over and extended a hand.  
  
“I can walk on my own.” Varian stepped back from him and Ruddiger moved between them. “Just show me where to go.”  
  
“You will have to improve that attitude of yours before the wedding.” Tromus said, turning to lead him along.  
  
“Oh, don’t worry, I’m _very_ good at pretending to be friends with people I want to _strangle_.” Varian said coldly.  
  
“Kinky, save it for the wedding night.” Lucas laughed as he walked up to join them. “Come on, little bird, it’s not _that_ bad. You could find a worse bride than Cassandra.”  
  
Varian scowled. “I’m not doing this because I _want_ to.”  
  
“Oh, I know. But your bellyaching isn’t going to make it easier on you.” Lucas nudged him. ”So, try to enjoy it, eh, _buddy_?”  
  
Varian glared at him. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”  
  
Lucas and Tromus both laughed and Varian rolled his eyes while Ruddiger signed “Want me to punch them?”. Varian shook his head with a small smile. At least he knew that his best friend would always have his back around all these other _crazy_ adults.  
  
\--  
  
Hm…” Cassandra stood in front of a mirror, changing her dress into different styles. “Hmmm…no…not this…not this…oh, maybe this one. What do you think, Zhan Tiri?” She looked over at the girl.  
  
Zhan Tiri appraised her dress. It was a floor-length, long-sleeved white dress with a blue belt that had a heart-shaped bodice, with blue gloves and boots. Her collar was bare, and there was a white choker around her neck. Her hair was done up in a bun with a long braid trailing down her back, which was exposed by a v-shaped open back that stopped just above her tailbone. A white, sheer veil came from her crown and trailed down to longer than the dress, making it trail behind her on the floor  
  
“Hm…” Zhan Tiri walked over and touched her hands. “Why don’t you remove these?”  
  
Cassandra hesitated, then took a deep breath before she focused, the gloves pulling back from around her hands. This was the first time she’d seen her right hand since she took the Moonstone and she was relieved to see it didn’t look hurt in any way.  
  
“Much better. Do you have the rings?” Zhan Tiri asked.  
  
Cassandra closed her hand and focused, then opened them to reveal matching blue-rock rings. “Yep.”  
  
“Good.” Zhan Tiri smiled up at her. “You look beautiful, Cassandra.”  
  
Cassandra blushed and moved a hand over the moonstone ever-present on her chest. “You’re just saying that.”  
  
“I’m not.” Zhan Tiri assured her. “You look the picture of loveliness.”  
  
Cassandra blushed. “Well…thanks.” She sighed and looked out at the sky. “Not much longer now.”  
  
“Yes.” Zhan Tiri looked at the Moonstone with a sly smile. “Not much longer now. Do you think Rapunzel will come?”  
  
“Oh, she wouldn’t _resist_.” Cassandra looked back at her. “Not if she wants to try to stop the wedding, at least.” She smirked.  
  
Zhan Tiri nodded. “Good. Her Sundrop will be her wedding gift to you.”  
  
Cassandra let out a giddy giggle. “I can’t _wait_ to see her on her knees before me. Ah, just the thought is getting me excited.” She squirmed a bit.  
  
Zhan Tiri chuckled. “Well, try to save some of that excitement for _after_ the wedding.”  
  
“Hah, yeah.” Cassandra nodded, then looked in the mirror again. “I’m getting _married_. I never thought I’d be so _excited_ for this! I feel like a piece of me that’s been long missing is being returned to me finally.” Her eyes flashed with delight. “I know he’s reluctant, but he’ll soon learn…it was meant to be.”  
  
Zhan Tiri hummed. “Yes…everyone will.”  
  
Cassandra moved her hand to the Moonstone, a deranged smile on her face. “Soon, boy…soon.” She murmured. “Soon, we’ll be one.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the bride!


	51. So Much to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the wedding gets closer, there's a lot of preparations to be done and a lot to be done to stop it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Brock looked up with a cringe as they approached the tower. “Varian was kept in _there_?”  
  
“Yep. Inside a tiny little cage suspended waaaaay up there.” Eugene nodded, pointing up. “I had to cross the tiiiiiiniest bridge to get to him.”  
  
Brock looked like he was going to be sick. Eugene laughed and walked past him. “Well, let’s go find that Mindtrap!”  
  
“Right.” Brock sighed and looked at their father. “Dad?”  
  
“Hm? Ah, yes.” He nodded. “The Mindtrap. Let’s go.” He walked inside after Eugene and Brock followed them. “I was just…this is the first time I’ve been alone with you boys at the same time since…”  
  
“Yeah, yeah, sentimental stuff. C’mon, we gotta get the Mindtrap or Adira and Hector are gonna be trouble when we go to crash the wedding.” Eugene said as he led the way up.  
  
Brock looked at him, then at their father. “Don’t…don’t take it too hard, he wasn’t raised by a family like I was, so he tries to pretend he doesn’t care.”  
  
King Edmund nodded. “…You said you were in an orphanage. Why were you never adopted?” He asked as they continued up the stairs.  
  
Eugene tensed. “…It’s not that I _wasn’t_ …I just…” He sighed. “I had a lot of bad luck when it came to…families. Lance, too. We had to run away from our new homes or save each other from them. L-Like, this one time, Lance got adopted by this circus, and there was this real creep of a clown there…I-I had gone to check it out, worried about him, and he was trying to force him to sing in this clown outfit for the crowd, even though Lance was really shy and didn’t like people hearing him sing. He threatening to hurt him ‘in a pleasurable way’ if he didn’t do as he was told, and that’s when I came in, smashed a large drum over the guy’s head, then grabbed Lance’s hand and we left.”  
  
“Yikes. What happened next?” Brock asked.  
  
“Well, we ran and ran until we ended up nearly being run over by this carriage. A man stepped out and asked who we were, where our parents were and, upon learning we were orphans, offered to take us in. And that was The Baron.” Eugene sighed. “He didn’t seem so bad, at first. By the time we found out he was kind of horrible, it was too late to leave. I mean, he treated us well enough. And his daughter was cute.” Eugene chuckled a bit. “But, uhm, he was really harsh to the older guys, and if anyone was caught stealing from him or hiding something from him or they failed a really big job…yeah. Honestly, I was lucky he didn’t kill me after I left his daughter at the altar.”  
  
“You _what_?!” Brock laughed a bit.  
  
King Edmund chuckled. “I remember when I met your mother. Did you know she was once a pirate? She came into the Dark Kingdom seeking ‘the greatest treasure’, the elusive Moonstone, and Quirin and I caught her in the act. While in the midst of pleading for her life, she looked into my eyes and…” He sighed. “She lowered her weapon and said, ‘on second thought…can I just stay here with you?’ Oh, you should’ve seen Quirin’s face when I pulled her close and gave her a deep, passionate kiss. Adira and Hector got there late and showed up just in time and Quirin gave them this ‘I don’t know’ expression, it was classic.”  
  
“Our mother was a pirate?” Brock chuckled. “Wow. Guess crime _is_ in our blood.”  
  
“Yeah, we both just kind of fell into it, huh?” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“She had this expression, it’s kind of like your smolder, Eugene, only it was a little more…you know, _her_. She called it ‘the dazzle’.” King Edmund chuckled. “I thought it was the cutest thing, she would do it every time she wanted to sway me into something. She never went after the Moonstone again, after that day.”  
  
Eugene smiled sadly. “She sounds like an amazing woman.”  
  
“She was.” King Edmund said softly. “She really was.” He clutched at the purple crystal necklace he wore, the only thing he had left of her, aside from their two boys.  
  
Brock looked at the necklace thoughtfully, then cleared his throat. “A-Anyways, we have to climb up this…tower.”  
  
“Yeah. Hey, how did you steal the crown if you’re scared of heights?” Eugene asked.  
  
“It’s not _heights_ I’m scared of, it’s being potentially stuck in a tower that can be manipulated at a madwoman’s whim at a height _much higher_ than the tallest tower of the castle!” Brock said anxiously. “A tower that, from what I hear, you _can’t_ climb the side of!”  
  
Eugene stopped. “…Okay, now _I’m_ scared.”  
  
“See?!” Brock shook his head.  
  
“It’s alright.” King Edmund chuckled. “If we get stuck, we’ll find a way out! After all, if something is not impossible…”  
  
“It’s not worth doing!” His sons both grinned, their spirits raised by the quote from their favorite book series.  
  
“That’s the spirit!” King Edmund laughed. “Now, let’s go find that rock!”  
  
\--  
  
“What is it with you and mountains?” Juniper asked as they set down outside the tomb.  
  
“The mountains aren’t so much a concern. It’s his fascination with _monkeys_ that always bothered me.” Kline said with a frown.  
  
Demanitus rolled his eyes. “You _never_ cared for my monkeys.”  
  
“They got into _everything_!” Kline frowned. “And why did you have to go and get a bunch of students if ‘Zhan Tiri is enough for me’?”  
  
“Oh, let’s not get into that.” The old inventor glanced away. “She told me that you were planning to take all the credit for yourself!”  
  
“Credit? I don’t care about _credit_! Were you really so thick-headed you didn’t realize that she was just trying to get to the stones _herself_?” Kline sighed.  
  
“Right.” Andrew walked up to the door. “Do we have to solve this riddle ourselves, or are you just going to open it for us?”  
  
Demanitus smiled. “Why don’t you give it a try?”  
  
“Oh, come on!” Juniper groaned.  
  
“Hm.” Andrew looked over the riddle thoughtfully. “’I grow, but do not live. I need air, but do not breathe’.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully, looking it over, then snapped his fingers. “I got it. You know, you could've made this one harder and _not_ put the answer on the door.” He placed his hand against a groove with a fire symbol and muttered something, casting a fire spell before he stepped back, the Saporians all watching as the fire spread out through the door. “Oh, I have to tell Varian about this.” He murmured.  
  
“For sure.” Juniper leaned on his shoulder. “Let’s make sure he’s unwed when we do, huh?”  
  
Andrew chuckled.  
  
The door opened and they all walked in, Demanitus leading the way.  
  
“Monkeys? Again?” Kline asked in disbelief as they entered a large chamber.  
  
Demanitus shrugged and went over to a book. Andrew walked over and picked it up for him. “Thank you, Your Highness. There are some…drawbacks to this body.”  
  
“Let’s get back and get what we need for this thing.” Andrew smiled at him.  
  
\--  
  
Kiera and Catalina crept into the city, Kiera carrying a basket full of Rapunzel’s “tinkerings”, which was really just a bunch of dolls of Rapunzel that were meant to be placed at random areas to freak out Cassandra that, when grabbed, would release a gas that would smell bad, something she found in Varian’s lab the night before when she couldn’t sleep. It was a silly invention, but whatever ruined the Evil Queen’s wedding day in even the smallest way.  
  
“Who’s that?”  
  
They gasped and tensed up, ready to attack if needed, but then felt relieved when they saw Dwayne coming out the shadows. “Oh, thank the Sun, it’s just you.” He said, coming closer to them. “I’ve been hidin’ from those spooky guys, I barely avoided capture.” He shuddered. “Wh-Why are you girls here?”  
  
“We’re going to spy.” Kiera explained, Catalina nodding as she did.  
  
“Better not, they’ve got the Royal Guard and those Brotherhood guys on patrol. Not sure why the Royal Guard is obeying, but their eyes are glowing white an’ stuff so…probably dark magic.” Dwayne shuddered.  
  
They looked at each other, then Catalina pulled out her communication Mirror. “Rapunzel.” She tapped on it.  
  
“Yeah?” Rapunzel answered.  
  
“Dwayne, tell us _everything_ you’ve seen.” Kiera said firmly.  
  
He rubbed the back of his head and nodded. “Those creepy demonic cultist guys are everywhere. There’s only a few of them, but they can disappear and reappear at will. I didn’t see the bird people, so they must be somewhere else.”  
  
“Somewhere else?” Rapunzel gasped and looked to the side. “What if they’re in the tower? I better warn—does someone have a Communication Mirror—Thank you, Pete. Can you call Eugene, tell him that they might encounter Mother and Father Bird in the tower and be on their guard? Thank you. Okay, Dwayne, what else have you seen?”  
  
“Well, the kid is rarely ever left alone for long, and I haven’t seen the bride outside since her announcement. Kid looks miserable, though, and I don’t blame him. I mean, that Cassandra broad is mean enough when she’s _not_ insane, and now she’s forcin’ him into a marriage he doesn’t want.” Dwayne sighed. “I haven’ seen too much of use, sorry, Princess.”  
  
“It’s enough. Do you know where the wedding is taking place?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“The throne room, but I haven’t been able to get in there.” Dwayne shrugged.  
  
“That’s okay, you’ve been loads of help. Why don’t you leave the rest to us, you should head for Old Corona and help with making the weapons.” Kiera suggested.  
  
“Yeah, we’ve got this!” Catalina assured him.  
  
He hesitated. “Princess?”  
  
“They’ll be fine, Dwayne. Come on, we need all the help we can get over here.” Rapunzel assured him.  
  
“Alllright.” He nodded. “I’m on my way, then.” He headed out past them.  
  
“Alright, girls, you know what to do. Sneak around, get inside, find Varian and whatever information you can find. And try to map out the wedding setup in the throne room, we need to know what cover we’ll have.”  
  
“Got it.” The girls said in unison.  
  
“Good luck!” Rapunzel encouraged, then ended the call.  
  
They nodded and headed into the city through the secret entrance.  
  
\--  
  
“…’though the sun may set and moon will wane, my love for you is eternal’…this is gross.” Varian sighed and set down the paper of vows he was supposed to memorize. ‘So flowery…and all lies. I don’t love her, at all.’ He leaned back in his seat. ‘Then again, I’ll probably never get the girl of my dreams, so maybe I should just accept this for what it is and settle. Ugh, no, what am I thinking?! She’s insane, and she’s allied with a demon, besides! I need to figure out how to get the Moonstone from her!’  
  
He got up and started to pace. He hated to admit it, but _he_ was probably the problem. He didn’t _want_ the Moonstone, mentally rejected it and refused to admit that he wasn’t a normal human. He went in aiming to take it, but he didn’t really _want_ it, he just saw it as his duty to take it from her. And then what? Throw it in the ocean? It’s no _wonder_ the Moonstone didn’t come to him.  
  
But, accepting the Moonstone as a part of him would be accepting the fact that his father had forced him to be born into a life he didn’t want, that he wasn’t even fully human, that he had never _been_ human and everything people had said about him being an omen of death or born for destruction was true.   
  
He felt tears form in his eyes and wiped at them. He couldn’t cry. He needed to be strong. He walked over and placed his hands on the desk.   
  
The decay spell had worked on Cassandra before…would it _now_? Or would the Moonstone protect her? After hearing from Rapunzel about what the spell actually did to everyone but him – and now he finally knew _why_ – he had been afraid to use it in their battle, but…what if it _worked_ on her? Would it turn the tables? He looked at the vows he was supposed to memorize, then sat down and continued to read them, his lips pursed. He looked at his gloved hands, his lips pursed. Supposedly, his hands would be exposed during the ceremony itself.  
  
Why did he have to make sure that his hands, in particular, never touched the rocks? Did that mean that his power’s range was limited to his hands? He flexed the fingers of one hand and then held the paper again.  
  
His wedding was in only a few more hours. He sighed and got up to light a lantern in the room to make up for the darkening sky, then went back to reading.  
  
\--  
  
“BIRD! BIRD! BIRD! BIRD!” Brock yelled as he and Eugene fled from the Disciples.  
  
“Dad, where’d you go?!” Eugene called.  
  
They’d gotten to the throne room and found the Disciple couple waiting for them, tea at the ready. Now they were being chased through the tower, but their father had been left behind in the throne room, apparently.  
  
“Agh, you know what? They’re birds!” Eugene turned and slashed at them. They flew back and he nodded to Brock. “Drive them back!”  
  
“Right!” Brock drew his sword and they both worked together in perfect sync to chase the Disciples away, heading back to the throne room.  
  
“The teapot!” Eugene yelled, glancing around. Where was their father?  
  
They ducked and dodged and knocked back the birds on their way to the innocent-looking teapot and then Eugene smashed his sword into it. They screamed as they disappeared and Eugene grinned, twirling his sword. “That’s taken care of!”  
  
“Yeah…but, where’s dad?” Brock looked around.  
  
“Not sure. We haven’t seen the Mindtrap, either.” Eugene looked around. “C’mon, there’s gotta be more rooms to this place.”  
  
They walked around the tower, finding several other rooms, but not the Mindtrap. Until they found a small room with a pedestal, the Mindtrap floating over it.  
  
“…I’ll admit,” Brock said, looking perplexed, “this is the first time I’ll have taken _floating treasure_.”  
  
“Yeah, me too, actually.” Eugene admitted as they stepped inside.  
  
They both walked towards it and reached out, only to find another hand taking it before they could. They looked up to see Adira standing in front of them, her eyes glowing blue. I’ll take that.” She said calmly.  
  
“Oh, great.” Brock cringed. “Guess Dwayne missed the part where the Brotherhood left the city.”  
  
“Hey, we can’t fault him for that, we’re lucky we got warning about the Disciples.” Eugene said as they both backed up.  
  
She swung out a leg to kick them and Brock yanked Eugene back. Then they heard growling and looked over. “Oh boy.” Eugene cringed.  
  
“Great…Uncle Hector’s here, too. With all his wild animals.” Brock cringed.  
  
“Eheh…this…could be a problem.” Eugene said nervously.  
  
“Dad!” Brock noticed him standing behind them. “Dad, think you could call them off?”  
  
“I don’t think that’s going to happen.” King Edmund said, his eyes glowing blue.  
  
“Uh…” Eugene swallowed nervously. “Dad…you’re in the Brotherhood?”  
  
The man bit his left glove and yanked it off, revealing the Mark of the Brotherhood on his hand. “We all took an oath of allegiance to the Moonstone, son.”  
  
Adira tossed the Mindtrap and King Edmund caught it, putting it into his armor. “Now that I managed to keep this out of your hands, that allegiance remains with Cassandra.”  
  
“But, she’s _not_ the Moonstone!” Brock insisted. “She’s just a thief! Varian’s the real Moonstone!”  
  
This fact didn’t seem to change anything to the Mindtrapped Brotherhood, and why should it? As far as they knew, Varian was Cassandra’s willing groom. Except that King Edmund _did_ know better. Eugene didn’t have long to dwell on that, because they were in imminent danger.  
  
“Father, I _don’t_ want to fight you.” Eugene said, stepping back.  
  
“I don’t think we have the _choice_ , Eugene.” Brock said nervously.  
  
“And I _know_ ,” Eugene went on, “deep down, _you_ don’t want to fight _me_!”  
  
“You don’t stand a chance.” Adira taunted.  
  
“Yeah? Well, I’m not one to walk away from a fight when my friends are in danger, no matter _what_ the odds!” Eugene said, drawing his sword as Brock did the same. “And I don’t intend on missing that wedding, so I’m not going to lose here!”  
  
“Yeah, that’d just be tacky, showing up late.” Brock added.  
  
Adira and Hector looked at each other, then Adira shook her head before she swung her leg out to slam into them.  
  
They both ducked to the side to avoid it and then took off running. “Okay, we need a plan.”  
  
“A plan? We need backup!” Brock hissed.  
  
“Well, we don’t have it!” Eugene replied. “Anyone we call would show up too late to help!”  
  
“So, what’s the plan?” Brock asked.  
  
“Flynn Rider.” Eugene said grimly.  
  
“What?” Brock frowned.  
  
“We fall back on our Flynn Rider skills. We put aside any emotional attachment to these people and focus on getting the job done. Let’s add the mental motivation of The Baron going to kick our asses if we fail.” Eugene suggested.  
  
“Hey, I can go back to pretending I don’t know them just fine, but you’ve known them longer!” Brock said as they ran into the throne room. “Can you _do_ that?”  
  
“I’m going to have to.” Eugene said as they turned to face the Brotherhood coming out after them. “Because they aren’t going to listen to reason.”  
  
They came running at them, Adira twirling to kick them, and then a large figure on dark armor moved in the way and caught her leg with large fists.  
  
Eugene realized who it was with a gasp. “Quirin?!”  
  
“Kiera and Catalina contacted us and said the Brotherhood were nowhere in sight. I took a horse and came here as fast as I could.” Quirin said, pushing Adira’s leg back and knocking her back before he drew his sword. “Let’s wake our family up together.”  
  
Brock smiled. “Varian’s lucky to have you for a dad.”  
  
“Quirin, you’re turning against the Moonstone?” Hector hissed.  
  
“No.” He said firmly. “I’m fighting to _save_ him. I’m fighting against the witch that captured him.”  
  
“Cassandra has the Moonstone!” King Edmund declared.  
  
“Yes, but she shouldn’t.” Quirin nodded to Eugene and Brock and they took battle stances. “And we’re going to take it from her today but, first, we’re setting you all free.”  
  
“How are you not under its control?” Brock asked him.  
  
“Because I took an oath to the _true_ vessel of the Moonstone.” Quirin said firmly.   
  
“Works for me!” Eugene nodded, and then they ran at the other three, Quirin easily knocking aside Hector’s bearcats and engaging Hector and Adira in combat.  
  
“You’re both out of shape.” He scolded them. “Too long living in isolation! You needed proper training partners!”  
  
“Dad, come on, snap out of it!” Brock pleaded as they advanced on him.  
  
He pulled out his axe and they quickly moved to avoid being hit by it. “Okay, so he’s got the Mindtrap on his person, right?” Brock said as they moved closer to each other again.  
  
“Yeah.” Eugene nodded.  
  
“Great. You distract him, I’ll get the ‘Trap.” Brock headed off to the side.  
  
“‘Distract him’?” Eugene looked at his father. “Come on, dad, you don’t _actually_ want to kill me, right? Your precious son who you had ravens stalk for two decades?”  
  
“I have no need for a son that would turn against the Moonstone.” King Edmund raised his axe.  
  
“I didn’t!” Eugene cried, and the axe stopped short. “I didn’t…I never _did_ , dad.” He swallowed nervously. “I’ve only ever been wanting to take it from the thief, Cassandra. Remember? Cassandra? She stole the Moonstone from the Dark Kingdom, it _fought_ her! It wants to be free from her!”  
  
The blue light in his eyes flickered. “Please, dad, I only ever wanted to help the Moonstone.” Eugene pleaded. “And now she not only has the Moonstone but its true vessel and they’re both trapped.” He walked towards him. “I only ever wanted to _save_ the Moonstone, and be…be a worthy son for you.”  
  
The light flickered again and King Edmund closed his eyes, like he was fighting something. “You…were _always_ …worthy.” He said, opening his eyes. “Oh, my son…” He looked over at Brock, who had frozen in place next to him. “My _sons_ …” He reached into his armor. “I…” He pulled out the Mindtrap. “We have to stop her.”  
  
Eugene nodded. “We do.”  
  
His eyes flickered blue again, and then he closed his eyes once more before he threw the Mindtrap on the floor. His eyes flickered blue once more before he shook his head violently and raised his axe, slamming it down on the Mindtrap. A blue energy wave burst from it and everyone affected fell to their knees. Eugene and Brock moved closer to their father, concerned, and then he looked up before he pulled them both close to him with one large arm. “My sons…”  
  
“Ohh, my head…” Hector groaned.  
  
“Quirin…what…” Adira looked up at him.  
  
He smiled and pulled them both close. “Let’s go crash a wedding.”  
  
“Heh, sounds fun.” Hector nodded.  
  
“Oh yeah, crashing weddings is always fun. Only done it once before, but…you know.” Adira shrugged, and then they all got up.  
  
Eugene pulled out his Communication Mirror to contact Rapunzel. “Mission accomplished, everyone. The Mindtrap is destroyed.”  
  
“Yeaaaah! Whoo-hooo!” They heard on the other end.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra gasped as she felt her connection with the Mindtrap fail and groaned, holding her head.  
  
“Cassandra?” Zhan Tiri walked up to her.  
  
“I’ve lost the Brotherhood…” Cassandra said grimly.  
  
“It will be alright. You don’t _need_ them.” Zhan Tiri assured her. “You have _us_.”  
  
“Yeah…” Cassandra nodded. “How’s Varian doing?”  
  
“He’s memorizing his vows at this time.” Zhan Tiri smiled. “The eclipse is almost upon us, and everything is almost ready.”  
  
“Good.” Cassandra nodded. “I can’t wait for it to finally _start_.”  
  
“It’s a new era.” Zhan Tiri smiled. “The Era of Cassandra.”  
  
Cassandra smiled at her and nodded. “I’m finally getting my happy ending.” She looked out the window at the sky.  
  
“Yes.” Zhan Tiri nodded, a sly smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the eclipse is upon us! Bring on the wedding bells!


	52. New Era

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The wedding commences.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel walked up to the bridge with the others behind her, an amber bomb in her hand. He was starting to feel ill, but Kline had assured her that this is normal and she would have to deal with it the best she could.  
  
“Everyone ready?” She asked, turning to the group with her.  
  
“Ready when you are, Sunshine.” Eugene assured her.  
  
“Let’s do this!” Rapunzel turned and ran for the black rock wall, throwing an amber bomb at it. It shattered against it and then the rock started to change before it shattered, giving them a way in.  
  
“LET’S GOOOOOO!” Eugene yelled as they ran in, heading for the castle.  
  
High above, the moon crept ever more over the sun, so only a sliver was left.  
  
\--  
  
Varian could feel his power growing stronger and took a deep breath before he focused, the gloves on his hands slowly moving back to reveal his hands. He had more control now. He opened his eyes and looked at his glowing fingertips, then gasped when he felt a hand on his shoulder.  
  
Ruddiger smiled sadly and signed “It’s time”. Varian nodded and then made his gloves cover his hands again before he walked out. Cassandra wanted to be the one to expose his hands for the ring, he figured.  
  
The sky was so dark, the sun barely even there anymore. He walked to the throne room, his head held high.  
  
The castle had been covered by black rocks for extra security, as were any tunnel entrances or secret pathways. Still, he suspected that wouldn’t keep trouble out.  
  
He noticed a door open a bit and stopped to see Kiera waving to him. He looked around before he went over to them. “Hey, you’re here!” He whispered.  
  
“The others are on their way; they just entered the city.” Kiera assured him. “Why don’t you hide in here with us?”  
  
“No.” He shook his head. “I have my own plan.” He straightened up and walked on. The girls looked at each other, confused, then shut the door again.  
  
He stepped into the throne room and walked up to the altar, where he stood waiting for his bride. The room was full of terrified townsfolk and pleased Disciples and he glanced away to avoid the pitying looks some of the people were giving him. This was unbearable enough without the pity. Faith was next to the alter as well, and she gave him a sympathetic look before glancing away.  
  
Soon enough, he heard “Here comes the bride” being played on the piano and looked over to see Cassandra walking down the aisle with a bouquet of forget-me-nots and white roses and some other flower he couldn’t name. Baby’s breath?  
  
Cassandra’s father walked beside her, his expression grim, and Zhan Tiri walked ahead of them throwing flowers on the carpet. When she ran out of flowers, she walked over to stand over by the altar as Cassandra and her father walked on.  
  
Cassandra smiled at Varian as she reached the altar and then her father left her side to stand to the side as the nervous priest began his speech.  
  
“Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to honor the union between Varian Ruddiger of Old Corona and Queen Cassandra.” The priest started, reading from his book.  
  
Varian blocked out much of what he was saying, it was all just filler before the vows. They heard a commotion outside and took over to see the doors burst open.  
  
“I OBJECT!” Rapunzel yelled as she ran in.  
  
“We weren’t at that part yet.” The priest said, blinking up at her.  
  
“Wow, you all actually made it!” Cassandra said, turning to them. “You have _no_ idea how happy I am right now.”  
  
“Cassandra, you _have_ to stop this! Varian doesn’t want this!” Rapunzel stepped forward.  
  
“Well, of _course_ , he does.” She looked at him. “Don’t you, baby?”  
  
He just raised an eyebrow but didn’t reply either way.  
  
“Varian?” Rapunzel asked, looking at him.  
  
He reached out and took Cassandra’s hand. She smiled and he focused, his gloves moving away to reveal his hands, now bare and still holding hers.  
  
“ _Wither and decay, end this destiny.”_ He sang, and Cassandra gasped as her body tensed. Rapunzel and the others all tensed as well, feeling the air in the room starting to go stale as he sang. “ _Break these earthly chains and set the spirit free._ ”  
  
His hair started to fully glow blue before his eyes went black and then dark blue started to creep out over the floor from him, making people back up in fear of the strange phenomenon. “Varian, let me go!” Cassandra cried, starting to panic.  
  
 _“Take what has been hurt,_ ” he continued, seeming to not hear her, “ _grant them no mercy. Bend and break the reins and set the spirit free._ ” He looked up at Cassandra, who was clutching at her throat. “ _The spirit free._ ”  
  
Rapunzel gasped as she felt the moon fully cover the sun, her body no longer immune to the spell’s effects. Cassandra seemed to snap out of it and she let out a yell of rage before slapping Varian across the face, hard, and knocked him to the ground.  
  
“How DARE you?!” She yelled. “How DARE you use _that spell_ on me?! How DARE you?!” She threw up a hand and people screamed as they were encased in black rock cages.  
  
He groaned in pain and didn’t dare to move as she advanced on him. “I have been _so_ kind to you, and _this_ is how to repay me?!” She grabbed him roughly by the arm.  
  
“Cassandra!” Rapunzel cried, drawing her attention back to her.  
  
Cassandra looked over, her eyes lighting up when she saw the Sundrop resting on Rapunzel’s chest. “I’ll deal with you _later_ , _sweetheart_.” She used black rocks to bind him to the floor and then walked over to Rapunzel. “I’m taking my wedding gift now, Rapunzel.”  
  
“No…” Rapunzel moved a hand over her Sundrop protectively. Cassandra moved forward and roughly yanked her arm away, reaching out a greedy hand to take it.  
  
A arm grabbed Cassandra around the waist and yanked her back. She cried out in confused alarm and then watched as Zhan Tiri moved towards her. “W-What’s going on?”  
  
“I think we’ve done this charade long enough.” She cooed, reaching out and gripping the Moonstone, forcibly ripping it from her. Cassandra cried out in pain as the power was ripped from her body, her long hair turning black again as her clothes went back to what they were before her change.  
  
“But…why?” Cassandra whimpered.  
  
“Don’t you see, silly girl? It was all a ruse.” Zhan Tiri said, slipping the Moonstone onto her wrist, where it lodged into place. Then she walked over to Rapunzel, who tried to move back but was grabbed by Tromus and Sugracha and held still.  
  
“Blondie! Rapunzel!” Eugene cried, looking for an amber bomb to free himself from the cage.  
  
“No…” Rapunzel struggled in their grip as Zhan Tiri held out a hand, the Sundrop lifting out of its place. “No, please!” She cried, her hair turning brown.  
  
Varian clenched his fists, focusing on breaking the black-rock binds on his body.  
  
“Finally…” Zhan Tiri put the Sundrop on her other wrist and then laughed, starting to twirl in place. “They. Are. MINE!”  
  
She started to glow golden-yellow and blue and then everyone watching horror as she changed from as little girl to an older woman clothes in black-rock armor dress with a blue belt, gloves and boots. A blue cape came out of her white shoulder-guards and she held out a hand, a white staff forming in her grip as purple horns forms on her head where her buns were, a cold smile on her pale lips.  
  
“Finally, the age of Zhan Tiri has begun!” She declared, then held out a hand and used black rocks to smash through the walls. “And I’m going to start by destroying this worthless Kingdom, brick by brick!” She laughed and went out into the courtyard, the Disciples following her.  
  
Cassandra gasped as she was dropped and looked up with wide eyes as Lucas smirked at her as he left with the others. “No…no, I didn’t _want_ this!” She cried, struggling to get up.  
  
“What _did_ you want, then?!” Rapunzel cried. “Why did you _do_ all this, Cassandra?!”  
  
“I…” Cassandra stopped, looking at her former friend in shock. “I…I don’t…know.” She held her head, her head bowed as her long hair covered most of her body. “I just…I just wanted to be adored…to be seen as more than just…just your shadow. God, Rapunzel, I messed up bad!”  
  
“Okay, so you recognize that.” Varian said, breaking free of the last bind and getting up. “Now, _what_ are you doing to fix it?”  
  
Cassandra looked up at him. “Varian, I…I’m so sorry, I…I don’t know what came over me, I…”  
  
“Save it. We’ll sort that all out later, there’s a _demon_ out there with the Sundrop _and_ the Moonstone and it’s all your fault.” He said sternly, then held out a hand and focused, the black rock cages around everyone shifting from around everyone and lowering into the ground. “So, what are you going to do to _fix_ this?” He walked over and offered Rapunzel a hand up, which she took.  
  
Cassandra looked at her father, then at everyone else, then pushed herself up. “I’m going to fight.”  
  
Varian turned to Ruddiger, who was walking over to him. “You think you can fight her, buddy?”  
  
Ruddiger nodded and punched his fist into his palm.  
  
Rapunzel smiled and nodded. “But, Varian, how can we—I—stand a chance without the power of the Sundrop?”  
  
He sighed. “You still have it inside you, Rapunzel.” He made his gloves pull back, then clasped his hands with hers, focusing. She gasped as his hair glowed completely blue and then she felt a rush of power run through her as her hair turned golden-blonde again. He smiled, holding her hand gently.  
  
She nodded, then turned to the others. “Alright, everyone! Let’s show the demon just who she thinks she’s messing with!”  
  
“Yeah!” They all cheered, running out.  
  
Rapunzel and Varian hung back, turning to look at Cassandra. She was gripping her right arm, looking at them nervously.  
  
Varian sighed and held out a hand, focusing and making Adira’s sword come out of the ground from where she had stashed it. “You’re going to need a weapon.” He offered it to her.  
  
“Varian—”  
  
“I said to save it.” He turned to Rapunzel. “Let’s go.”  
  
She nodded and then they headed out together, leaving Cassandra to follow.  
  
\--  
  
How could it have gone so wrong? Cassandra groaned as she held her head, feeling all of the sensations of life coming back to her. She felt like she had been shoved inside an outfit that was too tight for her and forced to wear it for days on end.  
  
She didn’t know why she’d wanted to marry Varian, now. Something about…merging? That was a weird theory, and she had no idea why she’d jump straight to that logic. She ran her hand through her black hair and then cleared her throat before she headed out to join the battle.  
  
She’d completely messed up, she knew it. She wasn’t getting out of this one without any form of punishment.  
  
She stepped outside and saw the fight raging on between the people she’s betrayed and her so-called friends. Gripping the sword, she ran out to join them.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel swung her hair to wrap around Zhan Tiri, who easily used black rocks to startle Rapunzel into letting her go.  
  
“Don’t be scared!” Varian said, using his own black rocks to attack the demon.  
  
Cassandra ran up to join them. “I’m here!”  
  
“Good.” Varian said coolly, and she winced. “Hey, Rapunzel, where are all the Saporians?!”  
  
“They’ll be here soon!” She assured him. “They’re working on something!”  
  
“ _Wither and dec_ ay _,”_ the demon sang, and people started to fall to their knees. Varian used black rocks to cut her off and she let out a feral hiss as she avoided being hit by them before summoning black rock cages around everyone, wrapping rocks around Varian’s body to keep him in place, and restarting the incantation. “ _Wither and decay…_ ”  
  
Damn it. Damn it all! This was because he was too weak! To hesitant! If his father had only taken him sooner, if he’d only been willing to take it when he battled Cassandra, he would have the Moonstone and people wouldn’t be… He looked around him at everyone suffering around him.  
  
This was his fault. He had said it was Cassandra’s, but he’d been stupid enough to trust this woman he now sees before him when he met her in an odd dream. He’d never dared to remove his gloves and touch the rocks before he was forced to, and now his people were suffering as a result.  
  
He focused, struggling in the rocks. He could feel the power trying to eat away at his lifeforce, but all it was doing was making him feel tired, not weak. He shook it off and then squirmed some more before letting out a scream of frustration as he opened his eyes.  
  
“Varian…” Rapunzel was bound in a way similar to him. Everyone else were down on the ground, weak.  
  
He glared at the demon who was surveying the damage she caused with a smug expression and then he looked at Rapunzel. “Rapunzel, I’m sorry. I’ve been lying to myself.” He looked at the demon. “I’m not going to lie anymore.” He closed his eyes. “Crescent high above.” He focused and the rocks started to move from around his body before he fell on his knees, panting heavily.  
  
No more lying. He looked at Rapunzel and held out a hand, focusing on freeing her, then noticed Cassandra and the Brotherhood were starting to get up, as well as Eugene and Brock, so he focused on freeing them from their cages as well. It seemed that anyone with a connection to the Moonstone was not as affected as everyone else.  
  
Zhan Tiri and her Disciples all faced them, and Varian saw Ruddiger get up and join Varian, his eyes glowing green.  
  
A blast of magic hit one of the Disciples and they saw the Saporians coming in, magic flying. “Hope we didn’t miss the party!” Juniper said as they ran to join them. “We need to buy Demanitus and the others time.”  
  
“For what? By the way, you missed my wedding.” Varian said as he summoned a row of black rocks to attack Zhan Tiri. She deflected it easily and sent some at him. “Rapunzel, use your hair!” He yelled as he sent another row. “I need to get close to her!”  
  
“Got it!” Rapunzel swung her hair out to lash at the demon.  
  
“Did you say ‘I do’?” Juniper asked.  
  
“Didn’t get that far.” Varian replied. “Where’s Andrew?”  
  
“Building something with Demanitus, Clementine and Kline.” Juniper replied. “You guys focus on the demon, we magic-users will get the Disciples!” She fired off a blast at one of the Disciples.  
  
Varian formed a spear out of black rocks. “Cass, you got my back?”  
  
“What? Uh, of course.” She nodded.  
  
“Good.” He glanced at her. “Don’t stab it.” He then ran forward, Cassandra with her while Eugene ran to Rapunzel as cover for her.  
  
“Agh!” Zhan Tiri struggled in the hair, then made a flat black rock pop up under Rapunzel to knock her off-balance. She spotted Varian coming and created black rocks to attack him, but he dodged around them and kept coming, using his own rocks to propel him forward.  
  
“What do you intend to do? You couldn’t take it from Cassandra, do you think you can take it from _me_?” Zhan Tiri demanded.  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel cried, throwing her hair to try to bind the demon again.  
  
The demon summoned more black rocks and they evaded them, though Rapunzel had to let go of her to do son. Varian managed to get close enough that she had to block his spear with her staff, then used black rocks to knock Cassandra back.  
  
“The reason I couldn’t take it from Cassandra was because I didn’t _want_ it!” Varian said firmly, holding out a hand. She grabbed his wrist roughly with hers and he winced.  
  
“What can you do? You’re only a child!” She hissed.  
  
“Moonstone!” He cried, focusing. “I’m ready!”  
  
He heard his father call his name, but didn’t pay attention it. Zhan Tiri gasped as the Moonstone on her wrist started to quiver and spark on her and she quickly let go of Varian to try to hold it in place. Varian stepped back, lowered his weapon, and opened his arms invitingly as both he and Zhan Tiri glowed blue.  
  
“Mistress!” Tromus cried in alarm.  
  
Zhan Tiri let out a cry of rage as the Moonstone lifted from her wrist and flew towards Varian. His body sent out a wave of blue Moon Energy that knocked everyone off their feet as the stone pushed against his chest and went inside of him, completely gone from view. Then he dropped to his knees, clutching at his chest.  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel ran to his side.  
  
Varian glared at the demon and held up a hand. She let out a cry of pain as black rocks bound her, all but one wrist, which had the Sundrop on it.  
  
“Rapunzel.” He looked at her. “Take it.”  
  
She hesitated. He guessed she was questioning on if she actually wanted it. “Rapunzel, come on! If she still has it when the eclipse is over, she’ll be able to use its powers!” He insisted.  
  
Rapunzel clenched her fists, then reached forward and took the stone from the woman. She cried out as she glowed golden-yellow and then reverted back to her child form, looking humiliated.  
  
“Varian, why isn’t it going on?” Rapunzel asked, pushing it against her chest.  
  
“For the same reason it came out!” He stepped back from the demon, who was glaring at them furiously. “It’s powerless right now, Rapunzel! Just a rock!”  
  
Rapunzel looked at it, then stepped back. “Okay…so…we won, right?”  
  
“Not…so…fast.” The little girl started to morph into a shadow and slithered free of the black rocks that hadn’t shrunk with her when she did. Zhan Tiri then started to change into a giant form that latched the legends, towering over then when she did. “I still have enough leftover power to _destroy you all_.”  
  
“Holy—is _that_ thing that little girl?!” Eugene cried in alarm.  
  
“It’s alright, guys!” Varian said, making all the black rocks go away. “It’s just a demon, there’s no Moon magic in her! We can take her!”  
  
“He’s right!” Rapunzel placed her Sundrop against her chest, where it came out from, and winced a bit as it connected, but didn’t go back in. “Let’s take her down!”  
  
They all cheered and charged forward to attack her. Her tentacles lashed out at them and she swiped at them with her large claws, knocking them back but they still pressed on. Varian used black rocks to try to bind her, but she wriggled around them and then lashed out at him with a tentacle, forcing him to back up.  
  
“Careful!” Cassandra said, catching him as he almost fell to the ground when he tripped over his own feet.  
  
He nodded to her and then twirled his spear before he ran forward, summoning black rocks to propel him forward quickly as Cassandra ran alongside with Adira’s sword.  
  
“CLEAR THE AREA!” Someone yelled.  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “Everyone, back up!” She yelled, backing away from the demon as she did so.  
  
“What’s going on?” Varian asked as Quirin ran over to yank him and Cassandra away from Zhan Tiri as fast as he could.  
  
“Ruddiger, take cover!” Juniper yelled, and he nodded before ducking into a building, the townspeople and fighters doing the same. Then they all saw a blast of light come from the bridge and hit Zhan Tiri and her Disciples.  
  
“No, no, nooooooo!” Zhan Tiri yelled as she was sucked into the light, her Disciples all screaming as they were pulled in with her.  
  
Then there was only silence, tense silence, before Andrew stepped into the city and looked around before waving. “It’s okay! It’s safe to come out now!”  
  
They all came out slowly, warily, and then Rapunzel ran forward and hugged Andrew excitedly before letting go and running to Kline, throwing her arms around him before hugging a monkey on his shoulder.  
  
Varian looked over with confusion, then ran over to Andrew and hugged him. Andrew smiled and rubbing his head. “Hey, buddy. What’s with the new clothes?”  
  
“Oh, didn’t you hear? I almost got married.” Varian focused and the Moon Energy left his clothes, restoring them to their normal state.  
  
“Yeah, I heard.” He gently squeezed his shoulder. “Glad you’re okay.”  
  
“Ehh…not sure if I’m…’okay’…” He moved his hand to his chest, where the Moonstone had entered. “But, I’ll adjust.”  
  
“Varian!” Rapunzel called, waving to him as she came over with Kline and the others, the monkey now on her shoulder. “Come and meet someone!”  
  
Varian walked over to her. “What is it?”  
  
Rapunzel beamed. “Remember when I said that Demanitus put his mind into a monkey? This is Vigor, also known as Demanitus!”  
  
“Greetings, young Varian.” The monkey said calmly. “I am told that you deciphered my code. I am pleased that someone is finally smart enough to be able to.”  
  
Varian blushed. “Aw, it…it wasn’t that hard.” He said shyly.  
  
“Princess,” Kline spoke up, “the eclipse is ending. If you are going to give up the Sundrop, now your last chance.”  
  
Rapunzel tensed and moved her hand to her chest. “…I…” She looked at Varian, then swallowed nervously. “You know…I never found out what would’ve happened if I took the Moonstone, back then.” She took the Sundrop off her chest and handed it to him. “Please…put this somewhere safe?”  
  
He took it in his gloved hand, then removed his other glove and held it in his bare hand, focusing and creating a little form-fitting black-rock cage for the Sundrop. “There.” He smiled, showing it to her. “I’m thinking of putting it on a necklace for you to wear.”  
  
She blinked. “Uhm…okay. That works.”  
  
“No one should have the Sundrop but you, but I _totally_ get wanting to go back to not having powers.” Varian sighed heavily and she giggled. “That aside,” he put the Sundrop into his belt pocket, “we have to figure out what to do about her.” He looked towards Cassandra, who had allowed herself to be cuffed when the battle was over and was sitting on her knees in the middle of town.  
  
“We do.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Before that,” Juniper walked over to Rapunzel, "do you want some shorter hair?”  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “I’m not sure? Let’s just tie it up for now.”  
  
“Good idea.” Juniper nodded and then got to work.  
  
“Sorry about crashing your wedding, V.” Kiera said, walking up to him with her sister.  
  
Varian shrugged. “It’s okay. I didn’t want it, anyway.”  
  
Catalina giggled and hugged him. “Glad you’re okay.”  
  
He sighed and looked up at the sky as the moon left the sun. He could feel the Sundrop regaining power in his pocket, warm against his side. “Yeah…I guess I am.”  
  
Juniper stepped back after she finished tying up her hair. “Alright, we’re done.”  
  
Varian looked over to see Eugene pulling Cassandra to her feet and hauling her inside.  
  
King Frederic walked over to Rapunzel and Varian. “Are you alright, Varian?”  
  
He nodded. “I am. Thanks.” He sighed. “I’m just…uh…magical now.”  
  
King Frederic chuckled. “Yes, yes you are.” His expression turned grim. “I’m sorry that I…treated you badly before.”  
  
“Pft, why are you bringing that up now? It’s water under the bridge.” Varian assured him. “You should be worried more about making amends to Saporia, not me. But, uh, let’s get the Cassandra thing handled first, okay?”  
  
“Yes…” He sighed. “The…’Cassandra thing’.” He cleared his throat. “We need to focus on rebuilding, then we will have her trial once we have a…well, a throne room to hold it in. That demon trashed ours, and I don’t know where Cassandra put our thrones.”  
  
“I do.” Varian assured him. “She showed them off to me.” He yawned then covered his mouth. “Whoops, sorry. Heh, apparently, unlike Cassandra, I still get tired and hungry and all that with the Moonstone.”  
  
“Good to know!” Rapunzel giggled.  
  
“Let’s go inside.” King Frederic said, nodding before they started to head inside with everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The danger is gone, now we can relax and...rebuild. Again.
> 
> ((A/N: Alright, we are so close to the end, thanks for sticking with me through this really weird plot point, we are going back to sanity now. XD))


	53. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a bit of rebuilding and relaxing before the trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Cassandra was hauled down to the isolation cell that Varian was taken to after he was first arrested and locked in. She noticed that they left her shackles on and barely recalled visiting Varian once after he’d been arrested.  
  
“Why did you do it?” she’d asked. “Didn’t you realize this would destroy your life? Your good reputation?”  
  
He’d replied in a hollow voice that he had no “good reputation” to destroy and he had nothing to live for. He looked like he wanted to kill himself, like he maybe had tried and had been stopped. She wondered, back then, what could’ve driven the teenager to that point?  
  
She still didn’t know. She hadn’t been there during his trial, when he might’ve said it. She didn’t listen when Varian tried to stop her from falling into that darkness herself.  
  
“Why did you do it?”  
  
She didn’t know. At least Varian had a good reason to do it, he was trying to get his father back and get people to finally listen to him.  
  
“Why did you do it?”  
  
Why did she do it? Why did she do _any_ of it? Her insecurities and jealousy had been warped by Zhan Tiri into something completely ugly and then the Moonstone had given her power to think she deserved the world. And Varian, apparently. She still wasn’t sure about that part, that was kind of…it was like something else was in her, speaking to him, telling him those things about merging. She briefly considered the possibility of actually being in bed with Varian and then cringed. What was she _thinking_?! He was a _child_! Maybe in a few _years_ , but as he was _now_?!  
  
She groaned and leaned her head on the wall, thinking of how, when Varian was here, he at least had Ruddiger.  
  
Cassandra had alienated everyone she was ever close to, human and animal alike.  
  
Eugene hadn’t even spared her a word before locking her in here. And why should he? This was all her fault, her choices, her actions, _her fault_. Despite what Zhan Tiri said, _she_ chose to take the Moonstone. She sighed and flexed her fingers, looking at her shackles. They weren’t too different, appearance-wise, to Varian’s when she had him chains up outside the ruins of her mother’s tower and then cuffed him to force him to go up those stairs.  
  
She swallowed back tears. Varian was too good for this rotten world. He was too smart, too pure, too innocent and even when the world tore into him with its claws, he still managed to smile through it all. It’s no wonder her mother had chosen him over her. He was the silver lining on a stormy day.  
  
But, he was also the lightning in the clouds, ready and willing to strike you if you cross him. When he was good, he was very, very good, and when he was bad, he was horrid.  
  
She still couldn’t believe how long it’d taken her to realize that maybe, just maybe, the reason her Moon form was incomplete was because of the boy with the teal stripe in his hair.  
  
She heard the lock turn and looked over to see the door opening. Was it time for her trial already? The door opened and she tensed as Rapunzel stepped inside.  
  
“Cassandra.” She said, using her Princess Voice.  
  
“Your Highness.” She replied, her head bowed, either in shame or respect, she didn’t know.  
  
“I have been asked to inform you that your trial will be in one week. That is how long the Saporians think it will take to repair all the damage to the city.” Rapunzel walked over to her. “During which time, you will be expected to reflect on your crimes, which will be read out to you by our Royal Advisor when the time comes.” She paused, dropping her Princess Voice. “By the way…Lucas disappeared shortly before the portal was put into use, Ruddiger said. Do you know where he is?”  
  
“He wasn’t sucked in?” Cassandra asked.  
  
“No.” Rapunzel shook her head. “And Nigel is still asleep.”  
  
“Asleep?” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“Oh, I guess you wouldn’t know. Not too long after Varian started translating the scroll in the Demanitus Chamber, Nigel was put to sleep by Lucas. Varian took the job of Royal Advisor temporarily until we can wake him up.”  
  
“Sounds like him.” Cassandra frowned. “I don’t know _what_ his agenda is.”  
  
“Neither does Varian.” Rapunzel sighed. “Well, we’ll just have to keep an eye out for him. In the meantime, Nigel is being put under something Kline calls ‘suspended animation’. It’s supposed to keep him from needing to eat or sleep or anything else until we can wake him up.”  
  
Cassandra nodded. “…Am I going to be executed?”  
  
“Uh, no. Corona abolished that when I came back from the tower, remember?” Rapunzel shook his head. “We’re going to have your trial, then determine what your punishment will be.”  
  
“Right.” Cassandra nodded. “I…I hope you find Lucas.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded and then turned to go. “I will return in a week to bring you to your trial. I…asked to do it myself.” She stepped out. “Until then, Cassandra.” She closed the door behind her.  
  
“…Yeah. See you.” Cassandra sighed.  
  
\--  
  
“You know,” Eugene said as he watched Varian retract a black rock he was using as a support while they fixed something, “the black rocks don’t leave cracks in the ground when you use them.”  
  
“Kline said it’s because I don’t do it out of anger.” Varian explained. “The Moonstone reflects the emotions of the wielder.”  
  
“Heh, and Cassandra was an aaaaaangry woman.” Eugene nodded.  
  
“Should we cut her hair for the trial or just tie it back?” Juniper asked thoughtfully. “It’s kind of super-long right now.”  
  
“We’ll leave that up to her. Most prisoners go to their trials unchanged.” Eugene explained. “You know, funny thing, I never _had_ a trial!” He laughed.  
  
“Eh, you’re not missing much.” Varian shrugged. “Just a bunch of people judging you and accusing you and stuff.”  
  
“Don’t forget the super long and boring listing of all your terrible crimes!” Andrew chimed in.  
  
“Oh, yeah, I just kind of tuned that out until they got to accusing me of murdering my dad. As we know, he was _not_ dead!” Varian said firmly, then shrugged. “But…eh. It’s in the past.”  
  
“And now we look to the future!” Eugene declared. “Like, uh…” He chuckled awkwardly. “how long do you think I should wait to, uh, propose again?”  
  
“Didn’t you propose in the tower?” Varian asked.  
  
“Yeah, uh, we didn’t make it official.” Eugene shrugged.  
  
“Well, maybe wait until after the trial.” Varian patted his chest. “Or longer. What about some actual romantic moment, like the day you first confessed or whatever?”  
  
“What, her birthday?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Sounds about right.” Varian walked off to join Andrew, summoning a black rock to help pin up what he was trying to hold in place.  
  
“Thanks, bud.” He rubbed his head, then got back to work.  
  
“Sunshine?” Eugene looked up to see Rapunzel walking out to them.  
  
“Cassandra has no idea where Lucas would be.” Rapunzel said glumly. “And Nigel isn’t waking up. He’s completely stuck.”  
  
Varian sighed. “We’ll find him.” He assured her. “He’s probably just taken off somewhere again, he'll show up out of the blue again just like last time. He kept talking about wanting to see me when I’m eighteen, well, I’m almost seventeen now.”  
  
“Oh, wow, you are. When’s your birthday?” She asked.  
  
“Uhm…” Varian quickly walked away.  
  
“Hm?” Rapunzel blinked.  
  
“He…doesn’t really celebrate his birthdays.” Andrew said awkwardly.  
  
“Why wouldn’t anyone celebrate their birthday?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Because it was his fourth birthday when Donella came back and said his mother was dead.” Juniper explained grimly.  
  
Rapunzel’s jaw dropped. “…Oh. Oh my god…”  
  
“Yeah.” Andrew nodded. “He told us when we tried to throw him a party before.”  
  
“I feel so bad now.” Rapunzel admitted. “But, how can we help him celebrate his birthday again?”  
  
“I dunno.” Andrew shrugged.  
  
Rapunzel looked thoughtful, then snapped her fingers. “I’m going to ask Kline!”  
  
“Kline is a True Seer, not a future teller!” Juniper called after her as she ran off.  
  
\--  
  
“…could change you into a human, if you wanted me to.” Kline said as he sat with Demanitus.  
  
“I would feel terrible for Madam Canardist, though, she’s taken such good care of me.” Demanitus sighed.  
  
“If you went back to her, you would have to lock your mind up inside of ‘Vigor’ again.” Kline reminded him.  
  
“That is a possibility I had not considered…” He admitted. “Perhaps we should just give her gold.”  
  
“Perhaps.” Kline nodded.  
  
“Kline!” Rapunzel ran up to them and Demanitus startled and climbed up on Kline’s shoulder. “Whoops, sorry. Kline, it’s terrible! I don’t know how to get Varian to want to celebrate his birthday again, because he was told his mother was dead on his fourth birthday!”  
  
“Young Varian was falsely informed.” Kline said, taking the old inventor off his shoulder and setting him next to him again. “His mother is trapped, not dead.”  
  
“Oh.” She blinked. “Where?”  
  
“In the Eternal Library.” Kline sighed. “Princess, you wouldn’t happen to be willing to…’buy’ Vigor, would you? Or give me the funds to?”  
  
Rapunzel blinked. “Oh, right, yeah. He’s Demanitus now, isn’t he?”  
  
“Yes.” He nodded. “And I would prefer he _stay_ this way.”  
  
“Right. I will just…get on that. Do you think you could tell Varian that whole…library thing?” Rapunzel said, turning to go.  
  
“I will speak to his father, first. I do not want to invite his wrath if I tell Varian something his father is not ready for him to know about yet.” Kline sighed.  
  
“Another thing. Can she be saved?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“…Theoretically.” Kline pursed his lips. “There are many paths for that, but that is not for quite a while. In the meantime, I think that you can find a way to make the day better for him all on your own.” He smiled at her.  
  
Rapunzel looked thoughtful. “Okay.” She nodded. “Then, we’ll keep this between us.”  
  
Kline nodded. “That would be appreciated.”  
  
She grinned and then ran off.  
  
\--  
  
Varian sighed as he sat in his room in the castle. He knew that he should get back to working on reconstruction, but he was just so…so tired. He’d used so much magic and nearly got married and he was honestly ready to suggest they call it a night and get back to work tomorrow, or at least ask if _he_ could get a break because he was on the verge of collapse.  
  
And why did Rapunzel have to go and bring up his birthday? Ugh, then again, it was _his_ fault for mentioning his age. Dummy Varian.  
  
He lay back on his bed with a sigh and then curled up on his side. Maybe…maybe he could just take a little nap. That wouldn’t be so bad.  
  
But his mind was swirling with too much information. Magic and scrolls and alchemy and princesses and legends and aaaaagh, it was so much!  
  
He heard a knock at the door and looked over. “Yes?”  
  
“Varian? May I come in?” Rapunzel asked.  
  
“Mmn…okay.” He nodded.  
  
She opened the door and stepped inside before walking over to sit on the edge of his bed. “Are you okay?”  
  
“Just tired.” He sighed. “It’s been…rough.”  
  
She nodded. “Yeah, I…I’m sorry I got you mixed up in my mess.”  
  
He laughed a bit. “Rapunzel, the whole thing could’ve been _avoided_ if I got ‘mixed up’ in it sooner!”  
  
“I know,” she sighed, “but, I still feel bad about the whole…you know, kidnapping and everything.”  
  
“Well, the wedding part was my fault.” Varian sighed. “I was reckless.” He looked up as he heard a quiet knock at the door. “Yeah?”  
  
The door opened and Faith poked her head in. “U-Uhm, I haven’t seen you since the w-wedding, thought I’d…check in when I heard your voice.”  
  
“Faith! Come on in!” Rapunzel said cheerfully.  
  
She did so, back in her maid uniform. Varian sat up with a relieved smile on his face. “You doing okay?”  
  
“I-I’m fine. I mean, a bit shaky. But…is it true what people are saying? Lucas is still out there somewhere?”  
  
Rapunzel sighed. “Yeah.”  
  
“I don’t know _what_ his agenda is…” Varian rubbed at his temples. “He’s like a cat, never there when you want him to be, but in your face when you’re trying to do something important.”  
  
“I hate to say it, but we might have to leave that up to the Saporians.” Rapunzel sighed. “Oh!” She hopped to her feet. “I need to get some gold coins!”  
  
“How come?” He looked up at her.  
  
“To buy Vigor!” She ran out.  
  
Varian blinked after her. “…Demanitus?”  
  
\--  
  
“Hm…” Madam Canardist grumbled.  
  
“I’m really sorry about this.” Rapunzel said. “I didn’t even _think_ about how we might not be able to give him back…”  
  
She sighed. “Well, I will have to find _another_ monkey. Tell Vigor to be a good boy.” She tied up the large sack of gold coins and went back into her caravan. “And good luck.”  
  
Rapunzel sighed and looked back at her damaged city. “Yeah…we’re gonna need it.” She turned and walked back to it, thankful for the Saporians being here.  
  
He paused and looked over towards where the Saporian castle’s ruins were, and The Baron’s body inside of it. She shuddered, thinking that they might want to just build a whole new castle somewhere _not_ haunted by The Baron. She hadn’t really thought about it, kind of put it out of sight, out of mind since she was happy to have Varian and the girls back safe…but, Varian clearly still had a bit of darkness in him, if he was willing to leave a man to die, trapped in goo.  
  
She sighed and walked back into the city. Varian’s darkness was just one more thing they would have to accept was and always would be a part of him, right up there with the destructive powers of the Moonstone. He was still Varian, he just had some…worrisome additions to his character.  
  
But, it was okay! They would be fine. Once they got Cassandra’s trial over and done with and got started on talks to rebuild Saporia – which might go easier, since Varian was the Royal Advisor and not Nigel – they could finally start having their happily ever after!  
  
‘But first…’ she pushed up her sleeves and headed for the construction work to offer what help she could.  
  
\--  
  
Finally, it got too dark to keep working, so everyone headed home after a shared dinner in the throne room, “since all those tables are in there anyway”.  
  
Not much conversation was had, everyone was too tired from the day’s events and the rebuilding efforts to talk to each other, and Rapunzel was dozing on her hand with a bite of food on her fork. She yelped when she felt a finger tap her shoulder and looked up at Juniper, who was grinning at her. “Uh…Juni?”  
  
“Come on, sleepy.” She pulled Rapunzel chair out with her still in it. “You’re not actually eating, so I’m gonna take you to bed.”  
  
“Mm…okay.” Rapunzel yawned.  
  
“Hey, Eugene, I’m taking your girl to bed.” Juniper called to him.  
  
“Okay, nuh-night.” Eugene said, equally as sleepy as Rapunzel was.  
  
Andrew and Juniper exchanged glances and then Andrew walked over to lift Eugene into his arms, Ruddiger doing the same for Varian, who had fallen asleep in his plate.  
  
“See you later, ‘coon.” Andrew nodded to Ruddiger, who let out a squeak in reply before he walked off with Varian.  
  
“Do you think he’ll _ever_ learn how to talk again?” Queen Arianna asked with concern.  
  
“If he doesn’t, well, he seems to be doing just fine.” King Frederic chuckled.  
  
“Frederic!” King Edmund walked up to him. “Come, let’s go to the Snuggly Duckling and have ourselves a round with the Brotherhood!”  
  
“Actually, if you don’t mind, I’d like to put that off for tomorrow.” King Frederic took his wife’s hand. “I’d like to go ‘for a round’ with my wife tonight.”  
  
“Oh, Frederic.” She blushed.  
  
“Haha! Yes! Go and have more children!” King Edmund walked off.  
  
Queen Arianna placed her hand on her stomach, then gasped. “I wonder.” She got up and went to Kline’s seat. “Kline, may I have a word?”  
  
“Of course.” He got up and they walked off together.  
  
“I was thinking…” She wrung her hands nervously. “With the…Sundrop being in its physical form now, would it be possible…do you think…” She looked at him. “Could it restore my ability to have children?”  
  
Kline blinked in surprise. “Well, now. It can bring back the dead, I don’t see why it couldn’t do _that_.” He smiled fondly at her. “You’ll have to ask Rapunzel if you can use it, though. I believe Varian has it currently, but it is _hers_ to control.”  
  
“Of course.” Queen Arianna smiled. “I’ll ask her tomorrow.” She took his hands in hers. “Thank you.”  
  
He chuckled. “Thank _you_ for giving our people a second chance, despite years of…well…strife.”  
  
She nodded. “It’s a new era, for all of us.”  
  
“With the dawn comes a brighter future.” Kline smiled.  
  
She squeezed his hand, then went back into the dining hall. She’d keep her plans to herself. She wanted it to be a surprise for Frederic.  
  
\--  
  
A lone figure sat on top of the tallest tower, letting out a sigh. “Peace and quiet again. It really _is_ better with just me.” He chuckled a bit. “Well, and Regulus.”  
  
A figure landed next to him and sat down and he looked to his side. “Why didn’t you tell them where I was?”  
  
Ruddiger sighed and leaned his head back. “Nigel would fight the Saporian restoration tooth and nail. It’s better that Varian thinks you’ve left on a trip and Nigel stays asleep until the restoration is complete. Kline is putting him in suspended animation until you release him from his sleep.”  
  
“Oh, look, you _can_ talk.” Lucas chuckled.  
  
“Don’t go spreading it around.” Ruddiger shifted his position a bit. “I prefer for people to think I can’t speak, lets me take more time to figure out my thoughts.”  
  
Lucas laughed. “Well, I won’t tell them you can speak if you don’t tell them I’m still here.”  
  
“Deal.” Ruddiger held out a hand and Lucas smirked before they shook on it.  
  
“…Why did you help bring her back, if you don’t care one way or the other?” Ruddiger asked, placing his hand on his leg.  
  
“It would’ve happened with or without my help.” Lucas stretched. “I just wanted to see what my little bird could do.”  
  
“Don’t call him that. I’ll shove you off.” Ruddiger warned him.  
  
“Touchy, touchy.” Lucas chuckled. “You should probably go to him. I’m sure he’s wondering where you are.”  
  
“Yeah.” Ruddiger got up and dusted himself off. “See you around, Luc.”  
  
“You too, Reggie.” Lucas smirked at him and gave a two-fingered salute before Ruddiger left. Then he disappeared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra's trial is due in a week.  
> What will she have to say?


	54. Trial

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra goes on trial for her crimes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

Rapunzel yawned as she sat up in bed, smacking her lips a bit as she slowly let the events of the day before come back to her. Once they did, her eyes lit up and she got out of bed. “Right, we have to get back to rebuilding!” She went to her balcony and opened the windows before stepping out and throwing out her hands. “Good morning, Corona!”  
  
“And good morning to _you_ , noisy.” Juniper said teasingly as she came in with Faith. “Before you get changed, did you want your hair to be cut to a more manageable length?”  
  
“Uhm…” Rapunzel looked at her long, brown hair that was literally all over the room. “…Yeah. But, I also want to keep the hair, as a pulley system! Plus, I’ve had it so _long_ , and I didn’t get to keep it _last_ time…”  
  
“Alright.” Juniper smiled. “How short do you want it?”  
  
“Oh, uhm, it can wait, though! Yeah, it can wait. We have other things to worry about!” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Raps, sooner or later, it’s getting cut.” Juniper raised an eyebrow as she picked up some of her hair. “You don’t have the excuse of it being indestructible anymore.”  
  
“Hehe…yeah.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
How about as long as mine is?” Juniper suggested.  
  
“Okay!” Rapunzel nodded, hopping onto the chair in front of her makeup table.  
  
“Wow, you’re all full of energy now.” Juniper said with amusement as she stood behind her. “Are you ready for this?”  
  
“I’m ready.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Say goodbye to your seventy feet of hair.” Juniper pulled out large shears and then gathered up some of Rapunzel’s hair. “Same length as mine, right?”  
  
“Yep!” Rapunzel nodded. “Still long, just not as much!”  
  
“That’s right.” Juniper grinned and started to gently cut her hair while Faith got her clothes for the day ready.  
  
“Hey, Faith? Do you want to wear the blue dress?” Rapunzel asked, glancing at her.  
  
“H-Huh?” Faith blushed. “I, uh…you mean, the official Lady-in-Waiting dress? I’m not on probation anymore?”  
  
“Nah, you’ve proven you can be promoted.” Juniper assured her.  
  
“You’ve been a big help to everyone, not just me. You’ve earned it.” Rapunzel smiled.  
  
Faith smiled brightly and bowed. “I hope to be as helpful to you in the future, Your Highness!”  
  
Rapunzel smiled, then focused on what Juniper was doing as he continued to cut her hair. “When I had it cut before, well, Eugene cut it up to my neck because he was doing it to save me and it’s what he could reach.”  
  
“Yeah?” Juniper smiled. “How’d he do?”  
  
“About as well as _any_ dying man would cut hair with a piece of a mirror.” Rapunzel shrugged. Juniper laughed. “It wasn’t _that_ bad.”  
  
“Do you have any drawings?” Juniper asked teasingly.  
  
“I do, actually!” Rapunzel clapped her hands together.  
  
“Don’t jerk, you’ll ruin the cut.” Juniper warned her.  
  
“Oops.” She chuckled nervously.  
  
Juniper finished cutting and then pulled out a brush to brush her hair. “There we go. How do you want it styled? Braid again?”  
  
“Yeah.” Rapunzel nodded.  
  
“Got it.” She set the brush down and started to braid her hair.  
  
They heard a knock at the door and Faith went to answer it. “Oh! Your Majesty!” She stepped back and bowed as Queen Arianna came inside.  
  
“Hey, mom.” Rapunzel smiled at her in the mirror.  
  
“Hello, Rapunzel. Did you sleep well?” Queen Arianna walked over to join her.  
  
“Better than I have in months.” Rapunzel admitted, smiling up at her.  
  
Queen Arianna smiled and cupped her cheek. We still have so much to do, but I am glad to see that you feel lighter already.” She looked at the cut hair. “Literally, I suppose.”  
  
Rapunzel giggled.  
  
“Rapunzel, on the matter of your powers…” Queen Arianna looked back at her. “I know that it’s being kept from going back into you right now, and I was wondering…would you mind if I borrowed it? I want to…” She sighed. “You see…”  
  
“Mom?” Rapunzel looked concerned.  
  
“It was…a _miracle_ I was able to have you. But, I haven’t been able to have children since. I…I thought that I could use the Sundrop to restore my ability to have children again.” She admitted.  
  
Rapunzel gasped. “Of course! Of course, you can use my powers for that, mom!” She hugged her. “Uhm, Varian has it right now, but he said he’s going to put it on a necklace for me.”  
  
Queen Arianna nodded. “I think I’ll wait until after the trial. Not a word to your father, though, alright?” She moved a finger over her lips with a smile. “I want it to be a surprise.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Your secret’s safe with me!”  
  
They hugged again and then she stepped back. “Well, I should let you get back to, well, getting ready for the day. I’ll see you at breakfast, dear.”  
  
“See you there.” Rapunzel smiled as she watched her go.  
  
\--  
  
The week went by quickly. Eugene made a point of complimenting Rapunzel’s hair when she showed it off and then they got to work with the Saporians and Varian in the city after they finished breakfast.   
  
“Rapunzel,” Varian walked up to her, “close your eyes and turn around.”  
  
“Hm?” She did so and Varian reached around her shoulders before something warm rested against her chest and then got tugged up a bit before it stayed in place when he moved his hands away.   
  
“Okay, open them.”  
  
She opened her eyes and looked down to see the Sundrop resting on her collarbone, lovingly wrapped in its black-rock encasement. A golden chain was threaded through the part on top of the cage and was fastened around her neck.  
  
“Thank you.” She smiled at him.  
  
“I figured a gold chain suited it better than colored beads.” He shrugged. “Simple, but effective. Of course, I _could_ replace it with a white-rock chain necklace instead, thinking about it, do you want me to do that instead?”  
  
She giggled. “We’ll worry about it later. Let’s get back to work.”  
  
He nodded and they went back to work on construction. Varian smiled at her as he used black rocks to hold something up so she could fasten it in place.   
  
“With your rocks, we might be able to finish sooner than a week!” She said cheerfully.  
  
“We’re still not holding the trial until then, though.” Eugene reminded her.  
  
“I know.” Rapunzel nodded. “It’s just…it’ll be nice to relax for a bit…before then.”  
  
Eugene sighed. “Yeah. So, any thoughts on what to do with her? Your dad said he’d leave it up to you on what her fate would be.”  
  
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to see her behind bars, even though I know she’s earned her time, but…I know that she can’t just get away with everything. Demon or not, Moonstone or not, _some_ of that was Cassandra.”  
  
“Whatever you decide, I’ll support it. But you already know what King Edmund asked for.” Varian said calmly.  
  
Rapunzel winced. Eugene’s father had hinted strongly after the battle that Cassandra be handed over to the Brotherhood to “take care of”, a fate she didn’t really want her kind-of-sister to go through.   
  
It honestly kind of scared her how quickly the man could shift between jovial and terrifyingly-mad.  
  
“I won’t do that.” She assured him. “Everyone deserves a second chance, right?”  
  
“Sure.” Varian went back to work.  
  
Eugene sighed. “Just, uh…not undeserved.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded. “Yeah…”  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra wasn’t too aware of time passing. The isolation cell had no windows, she didn’t trust that she was being fed at proper meal times and she lost track of how many times she was fed after day two. Or was it three? Maybe just one. She wondered how Varian had managed to be in here for even a day, he was just a kid at the time, but she supposed that he managed to survive it the same way he survived his isolation before it – thinking.  
  
So, she thought. She thought about her past, her actions, the people she’d let down, the people she’d thrown aside for her ambitions.  
  
She thought of Rapunzel, of Varian, of Eugene, of her father, who she hadn’t seen since she forced him to walk her down the aisle for a wedding that shouldn’t have been happening.   
  
She thought of herself, of who she wanted to be, who she was, what she became. She thought about pride and the things that came of too much of it. She was never satisfied. If she wanted to leave, she could’ve just left, maybe Ingvarr would’ve still taken her in. But, no, she didn’t want to leave, she wanted to take what Rapunzel had. Because…what? Because her mother kidnapped her? She had more reason to hate _Varian_ , but how could she legitimately hate _either_ of them for something they didn’t know was going on?  
  
“Mother…” She said grimly, leaning her head back against the stone behind her, “I have so many questions…but I can’t ask a single one. Why did you leave me? Didn’t you want me? Why didn’t you give me away, if you didn’t want me? Why didn’t you ever seek me out? Didn’t you love me? Or was it all…” she choked on her words and bowed her head, “was it all in my head? Did you look at me and wish I was a boy? Or did you look at me and wish I was a particular boy?”  
  
After she took over the castle, she’d gone wandering and found Varian’s lab and her mother’s books and notes, and a book with a picture of Regulus – Ruddiger, now – and realized based on her notes that she was very fond of him. Of course, she would be more interested in Varian, who was more like Regulus than Cassandra would ever be.  
  
And really, if Cassandra thought about it, did she actually _love_ her mother anymore? She completely _forgot_ about her for over a decade, and then when she found out about her it was by Zhan Tiri’s urging that she sought revenge.  
  
She sighed, bringing her face to her still-shackled hands. She’d thrown away everything for a vision of a woman that she didn’t even know, that she’d blindly believed – even if it did turn out to be true – was her mother, that the vision was the absolute truth. And what was she thinking? She’d told Rapunzel from the start “be careful who you trust”, and then blindly trusted a “ghost girl” in a suspicious house in the wilderness that had already proved to be dangerous and full of people that lived in mirrors and a front door that disappeared.  
  
Which, it turned out, was the lair of one of the Disciples of Zhan Tiri. Who she then blindly trusted, again, after setting her free – making Varian be an _accomplice_ in setting her free. The difference was that she _knew_ what would happen, and _he_ just thought he was helping Rapunzel fight back. Which was _true_ , but…yeah.  
  
She didn’t know why she was even surprised when they all turned on her when Zhan Tiri gave the signal. They were never her allies; they were loyal to Zhan Tiri. And she was stupid enough to believe everything and hurt everyone that actually cared for her. Even Owl and Fidella.  
  
The door creaking open broke her from her self-pity and she looked up at see Varian stepping inside with a tray of food. He closed the door behind him and then walked over to set the plate on the cot next to her before he pulled out a key and unlocked her cuffs.   
  
“Uhm…thanks.” She said, massing her wrists after he took the cuffs away.  
  
“There’s no reason to keep these on you this long, you don’t pose a threat to anyone in here. They’re just being petty.” He said, picking up the tray and handing it to her. “Your trial is first thing tomorrow. Eat, you’ll need your strength for it.”  
  
She accepted the tray and started to eat, glancing away, ashamed to meet his eyes. He quietly waited for her to finish, looking to the side. The silence was unbearable, and she felt like someone needed to break it.  
  
“I-I’m sorry.” She finally blurted out.  
  
He sighed. “Well, you’re a step above what I was. When _I_ went to trial, I was a huge ball of anger, when asked to defend myself I accused the King of a whole lot of stuff and accused the entire Kingdom of being self-serving and throwing aside my father like he never mattered, and all kinds of stuff. Then again, I had my trial the next day, you’ve had a week.”  
  
Cassandra nodded. “Yeah, but…you know…you had good reason to be mad.”  
  
“Oh, you have no idea.” Varian laughed a bit. “Turns out, His Majesty thought I was dangerous from the moment I was born, apparently between the fact a horrible storm happened that day and the stripe in my hair and my dad’s warnings about taking the Sundrop letting in the darkness, King Frederic and Nigel assumed that I was an ‘omen of darkness’.” He sighed. “Though, were they _wrong_? I actually _was_ connected to the black rocks, apparently.” He shrugged. “Anyways, we’ve moved past our issues and are really close, now.”  
  
“How did you move past that much…hate?” Cassandra frowned.  
  
“Well, after we talked it out, I realized he felt remorse and when he asked me to help him with pranking King Trevor, I agreed.” He chuckled. “They weren’t sure what to do, so I came up with the idea of repainting his castle in Corona’s colors. We brought over half the city, put everyone in the castle to sleep, stashed them in a room, then got to work. After we realized King Trevor was out, I volunteered to meet him at the docks and King Frederic joined me and we had a heart-to-heart.”  
  
“Okay…?” Cassandra raised an eyebrow, then continued eating.  
  
“Well, King Trevor showed up, came down the ramp, and we knocked him out with sleeping bombs of my own creation. Unfortunately, he had guards and we were out of sleeping bombs so we had to fight them off and run for it. Then we realized that they would catch everyone at the castle, so I came up with the idea to go back, lure them back onto the boat, knock out the ramp, then dive off. It worked, except that I can’t swim and they decided to _chase_ us, so King Frederic was pretty much holding me afloat as we swam around evading harpoons and arrows and stuff.” He chuckled. “Then we found a cave, had another heart-ot-heart, then left when we realized we weren’t alone, swam around a while more and then found one of the ejected lifeboats and took it back to shore. The boat was still looking for us when the painting finished and we all went home and King Trevor was _pissed_.” He chuckled.  
  
“So…you trusted him with your life…and that’s why you’ve moved past it? Because he proved he could be trusted not to hurt you?” She asked.  
  
He nodded, then held out a hand. “Looks like your food’s done.”  
  
She handed it over and he looked at the shackles before sighing. “Might get told off if I leave these off.” He set the tray down, then walked over and put the shackles back on her wrists. “Again, your trial is tomorrow.” He stepped back and grabbed the tray. “Get some sleep.” He walked over to the door, the paused. “…Hey, Cassandra?” He looked back at her. “…I’m sorry about your mother. And I do wish you got to know her like I did.”  
  
She sighed. “It’s…it’s fine.” She glanced away. “I should’ve been a boy. Maybe it would’ve been better, I mean, I…I kind of like women more, anyway.”  
  
He raised an eyebrow. “You tried to _marry_ me. You were talking about…about…”  
  
“’Merging’? Doesn’t that sound _weird_ to you?” Cassandra looked at him. “That wasn’t _me_ , Varian.”  
  
He blinked, then placed his hand on his chest. “…Oh. Oh, geez.” He groaned and opened the door. “Well…see you tomorrow.”  
  
She watched the door close and lock and then considered how she hadn’t been there for his trial. Maybe she should’ve gone. But, she would’ve just been one more hate-filled voice accusing him, at the time.  
  
She sighed and hung her head. Her trial was tomorrow morning…she wasn’t looking forward to it.  
  
\--  
  
Morning came too soon, she thought. She felt like she barely closed her eyes to sleep for a second and then suddenly it was morning and she was hearing the door to her cell opening. She slowly sat up and looked up with bleary eyes as Eugene and Rapunzel stepped inside. “Eugene…?”  
  
“We’re here to escort you to your trial.” He said with not even a trace of friendliness in his tone. He walked over and pulled her up by her arm. “It’s time, Cassandra.”  
  
Rapunzel stood by the door, letting her boyfriend do all the talking. Cassandra swallowed nervously and walked out with him, Rapunzel by his side.  
  
She didn’t know the policy for being escorted to trial. Was she allowed to speak? She felt even worse that she didn’t go to Varian’s, because then she might at least have an idea of what was to come.  
  
Sunlight hit her as they got above ground and passed by windows and guards and maids who gave her dirty looks. She avoided their gazes, and Eugene didn’t stop to let people gawk. She noticed another guard walking near them, probably just in case she put up a fight. She wondered how much of one Varian put up. If he kicked and screamed the entire path here. If he was roughly told to be quiet or it would be worse for him.  
  
She’d seen prisoners be escorted before, but never seen the trial, and only glimpses as they were hauled past her in the hallway.  
  
Finally, she was brought to the throne room doors, which were opened for her, and she was hauled in to the room and brought to stand before the thrones. Once there, she was led to a podium and chained to it before Eugene let go of her fully and stood to the side of her.  
  
People were seated in benches at either side of side of the carpet, which Cassandra noticed had since been replaced since the black rock that had jut out of it on Eugene’s birthday and been left there until she took over had been removed by, she guessed, Varian.  
  
“All rise for the honorable King Frederic and Queen Arianna of Corona.”  
  
Speaking of which, she saw him coming in with the King and Queen, carrying a scroll and dressed in a blue and black outfit that reminded her of his wedding clothes. Everyone stood up as they came in and then sat down once the royal couple did, Varian remaining standing by the King.  
  
She looked at her chained hands and then glanced over as Rapunzel walked over to sit in her own throne. Eugene remained by Cassandra’s side.  
  
“We will now begin the trial of Cassandra, daughter of Gothel.” Varian said, unrolling the scroll. She looked up at him and saw none of the teenager she had spoken with the night before, only a cold advisor intent on his duty.  
  
“We will begin by stating the charges. Cassandra, you have been charged with the following: theft, deception, conspiracy to commit treason, treason, mutiny, conspiracy to usurp the throne, usurping the throne, conspiracy to commit regicide, attempted regicide, kidnapping, abuse of a minor, drugging a minor, attempted forced marriage with a minor, intent to engage in sexual intercourse with a minor, conspiring with demons, identity theft, impersonation of castle staff, enslavement, enslavement of a minor, destruction of property, destruction of livelihood, assault and battery.”  
  
He rolled up the scroll again. “Do you have any arguments against these charges?” He asked calmly.  
  
Cassandra briefly wondered why “witchcraft” wasn’t on the list, but then remembered who was in front of her. “Ah, yes, actually. I wasn’t of my own mind when I did the whole… _wedding_ thing.” Cassandra admitted. “Once I lost the Moonstone, I didn’t have any inclination to it at all, which leads me to believe that it was the Moonstone influencing my actions, even _controlling_ them, for that particular part. Based on what happened with the black rocks, we can assume that the Moonstone is sentient.”  
  
Varian looked towards the King and spoke quietly, then nodded. “Yes, the Moonstone is sentient, as confirmed by the Brotherhood. Very well, we will remove the relevant charges from your record. Any of the others?”  
  
“No. Uh, sir.” She glanced away, feeling a bit weird calling him “sir”. “Everything else is…I have no arguments.”  
  
“Very well.” Varian nodded. “Then, let His Majesty, King Frederic, speak.” He stepped back.  
  
King Frederic raised his head in a dignified way, staring her down. “Cassandra, after you were left alone as a child, you were raised here in this castle and taught to be loyal to your Kingdom. And yet, you have chosen to spit in the face of those that cared for you and taught you right from wrong all those years, even to the point of stealing a magical artifact and taking over this very castle you once called home. What is your reasoning?”  
  
“What?” She stammered, startled by the question.  
  
“Why did you feel the need to betray everyone and everything you knew and turn against the Kingdom and Rapunzel for a memory?” He said calmly. “Ever since Varian’s trial, we have been making an effort to…hear the accused, to learn what drove them to do what they did. What is your reasoning for it all?”  
  
Cassandra swallowed nervously. She wasn’t expecting this. This was certainly not usual Corona court procedure, not as far as she had heard. She looked down at her shackles. “Well, I…” she hesitated, “it started with…pride, Your Majesty. Pride and jealousy, ugly things that had been building up over…months. And then, when I was shown a vision of my mother by Zhan Tiri, about her abandoning me that night to take Rapunzel away, something inside of me…snapped. I was…angry. I felt betrayed. Some part of me was sure that Rapunzel knew about me, that she had been leaving behind my back this whole time. And that something grew and grew, encouraged by Zhan Tiri, who I didn’t realize _was_ her at the time, and morphed into something dark and twisted that…consumed me. I swore that I would take everything from her, that if she was going to take my mother and the life I could have had with her, that I would take her home and family and anything else I could.”  
  
She clenched her fists. “Looking back on it…I was…pretty deranged. I had a lot of chances to stop, a lot of time to think that it might be wrong, but with all the negative emotions I was now feeling, I couldn’t stop. I kept on going, determined to make things…even. Fair. To complete my part of the Princess and Pauper tale. To be something people would look at and feel awe over.” She sighed, her fingers unclenching before resting flat on the podium. “Instead, I just made people fear me. I summoned rocks with my uncertainty and fear of loss, of being left in Rapunzel’s shadow again, of _failure_ that made people see their worst fears and turned them into red statues forever trapped in that hallucination. If Varian hadn’t stopped it…” She hung her head.  
  
“I won’t deny that I did all those terrible things. And I have no good reason for any of it. I didn’t have a father trapped in amber and whatever else Varian went through. I didn’t have a family to feed. Everything I did was from pride, envy, the need for attention and rage. I have no good reason to do what I did, and I deserve whatever you choose to do with me.” She looked up at King Frederic. “I accept my fate.”  
  
“You plead guilty to all charges?” He asked calmly.  
  
She nodded. “Yes. I plead guilty.”  
  
“Very well.” King Frederic nodded, then spoke quietly to Rapunzel, while everyone watched with bated breath. Cassandra swallowed nervously, thinking of all the ways that she could be executed. Or maybe sent to the prison barge? Maybe she would be locked away in the dungeon until she rotted. She would deserve such a fate.  
  
“A decision had been made.” King Frederic said as he straightened up. “Princess Rapunzel will declare your fate.”  
  
‘Rapunzel…’ Cassandra thought as Rapunzel stood up and approached her.  
  
“Cassandra, daughter of Gothel,” Rapunzel said, using her Princess Voice, “you have been hereby sentenced to 20 years of monitored exile. You will be leaving Corona three days from now with guards to accompany you, and you will remain at their sides at all times. At the end of every month, they will send a report of everything you did that month and if you have proven to be truly remorseful and have atoned for your crimes, you will be allowed back into Corona in twenty years’ time. If you show signs of still retaining your dangerous pride and malice and envy, you will be kept out of Corona for another twenty years. Is this understood?”  
  
“Exile…” Cassandra breathed, then hung her head. She would be kept from going back to Corona and kept watch over by guards for twenty years. What a fate…  
  
“Additionally, your crimes will be told to the other Kingdoms, so that they will know to watch out for you if you attempt to settle down in any of them.” Rapunzel said firmly. “Until you prove yourself worthy of being trusted again, you will not be able to take harbor anywhere but the wilderness. We will provide you a caravan for you and your guards, and you will be chained at night.”  
  
“I understand.” Cassandra said quietly.  
  
“Good.” Rapunzel nodded. “Then, until you depart, you will be returned to that holding cell to wait.” She walked back to her throne and sat down.  
  
“Thus concludes the trial. Take the prisoner back to her cell.” King Frederic ordered.  
  
Eugene waited while a guard unchained Cassandra from the podium and then he grabbed her arm and led her out. Cassandra looked over her shoulder and saw Rapunzel talking to Varian. He had a smile on his face and she was smiling nervously, like she was asking for critique on her first sentencing.  
  
‘How very Rapunzel of her.’ She thought, looking forward as the door shut behind her.  
  
Eugene led her back to her cell in silence. When they arrived, he opened the door and ushered her inside before closing the door behind him.  
  
She swallowed nervously, seeing he was in the cell with her. “Uh…Eugene?”  
  
He sighed. “Well, guess I have to tell my dad you don’t get handed off to him like he wanted. Still, you might want to watch your back out there. The guards will be there to keep you out of trouble, but they might turn a blind eye to an angry Brotherhood member. You not only took the Moonstone, but you kidnapped and hurt one of their children. I don’t know if you noticed, but they’re _really_ heavily into the whole family thing. The fact that Varian turned out to be the human vessel for the Moonstone only makes them even _more_ pissed off.”  
  
She sighed and nodded. “Yeah.”  
  
“Why did you take him?” Eugene frowned. “Why not just take the scroll and leave?”  
  
“Well, I couldn’t read the scroll, and he destroyed the translation key, making himself the only way I could read it.” Cassandra explained. “I…guess he thought I wouldn’t resort to kidnapping.”  
  
“None of us did.” Eugene nodded firmly. “It was a clear sign to us that you’d completely lost any sense of morals you once had. The Cassandra that I knew, no matter _how much_ of a viper she was at times, wouldn’t hurt a kid.”  
  
“I threatened his life when we first met.” She muttered.  
  
“So did I, but I didn’t go through with it. Words and deeds are two different things, Cassandra.” He sighed. “Agh, I’ve taken too long here. Anyways, just try to avoid the Brotherhood, alright?”  
  
She nodded. “Eugene? I’m…I’m sorry.”  
  
He opened the door. “Yeah…me too. I’m sorry that I lost a friend to her greedy ambitions.” He walked out and closed the door, locking it behind him.  
  
Cassandra fell to her knees and finally wept for all that she’d lost as a result of her actions, bringing her chained hands to her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra has a long journey ahead of her.


	55. Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cassandra is sent away, and plans are made to rebuild. Old ties are mended and new ties are formed. It's Happily Ever After, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (c) Disney

“ _Flower, gleam and glow,_ ” Rapunzel sang softly as she held the Sundrop with one hand, the other resting on her mother’s stomach, “ _let your power shine. Make the clock reverse, bring back what once was mine. Heal what has been hurt. Change the fate’s design. Save what has been lost, bring back what once was mine. What once was mine._ ”  
  
Queen Arianna sighed softly as she felt the healing power of the Sundrop enter her body. Kline smiled and moved forward as Rapunzel stepped back. “Let’s use a bit of magic to test fertility.” He said, adjusting the blanket to cover anything under her stomach before he spread a prepared salve on her bare skin and chanted something.  
  
“I’m nervous.” Queen Arianna admitted, taking her daughter’s hand.  
  
“It’s going to be okay.” Rapunzel said gently.  
  
The white salve started to change color, into a bright, rosy pink. Kline smiled at her and then started to gently wipe it off. “You are as fertile as a beautiful garden, Your Majesty.”  
  
Queen Arianna brought her hand to her lips, tears of joy slipping down her face. Rapunzel smiled brightly and hugged her and they embraced for a few minutes while Kline cleaned up his work. “Thank you, both of you!”  
  
“Well, this was better than a boring meeting.” Kline said with a teasing smile.  
  
Rapunzel giggled. “I bet they’re making great progress in that ‘boring meeting’.”  
  
\--  
  
“Based on our observations, this area might be the best for Saporia to be rebuilt, if we want to avoid damaging the forest.” Andrew said as he pointed to a spot on the map.  
  
“What about the castle?” Eugene asked.  
  
“Rapunzel suggested that we just leave the ruins be, since they’re probably haunted by The Baron.” Juniper smirked at Varian.  
  
“Oops.” He said in a deadpan way that indicated he felt no remorse for The Baron’s fate.  
  
“The area was unstable, anyway.” Eugene nodded and Juniper laughed.  
  
“Besides, we’re thinking of rebuilding the castle over by the Sundrop Monument.” Andrew said thoughtfully. “To replace the destroyed temple.”  
  
“Temple?” Varian asked.  
  
“The Sundrop Temple. We told you about how the Saporian royal family were like the Brotherhood?” Andrew reminded him. “There was a temple on that cliff, a beautiful thing. I want to either rebuild that place, hopefully with the help of someone that was there and would remember what it looked like, or replace it with the castle.”  
  
“But, how would people get to the monument?” Varian asked.  
  
“By going down a path?” Andrew chuckled.  
  
“We’ll figure it out. For now, let’s just get back to deciding the land before we go planting buildings.” Juniper nudged him.  
  
“Yes.” King Frederic nodded. “How big do you want the land to be?”  
  
“Big enough to house a kingdom.” Andrew sighed. “We have…an entire mountain’s worth of people waiting for us to move them over. We also need room to build stables and keeps…”  
  
“It might be a good idea to actually go out and see the area in person and we’ll see how much land we need from there.” Varian suggested. “We can take a hot-air balloon.”  
  
“That’s a wonderful idea. I don’t believe I have gone on one yet.” King Frederic smiled.  
  
“Well, what do you say we move this meeting to the skies?” Varian said as he rolled up the map.  
  
“Let’s do it!” King Frederic beamed.  
  
\--  
  
“Quirin, be reasonable.” King Edmund implored. “With the boy now the Moonstone, it is only best that he comes to stay in the Dark Kingdom.”  
  
“The life you want for my son is not one that he would be happy with. And I swore allegiance to him and the Moon, and they are both in agreement that they don’t want to live in a cage.” Quirin said as he hauled hay onto a pile. “The Moonstone had me birth a human vessel because she wanted to experience true freedom, human life. And while they don’t always get along, Varian seems to have adjusted to being with the Moonstone and is content to carry her with him through the rest of his days.”  
  
King Edmund sighed. “And you? What will you do?”  
  
“My place is here. I have an entire village of ex-criminals to care for and a son to take care of.” Quirin put the pitchfork down. “On that note, what will you do about _yours_?”  
  
King Edmund glanced away. “Horace—Eugene—has made his intentions to stay very clear. He has his role here, and does not want to leave it. This is his home.”  
  
“What of Prince Brock?” Quirin asked calmly.  
  
“I…have not asked him yet if he would let to come live with me, but the thought did cross my mind.” Quirin admitted. “I just don’t know if he would _want_ the kind of life that I—"  
  
“Are you kidding me?! YES!” Brock walked up to him. “Sorry, overheard when I was bringing the cow back in. Of course, I’ll go back with you, dad!”  
  
King Edmund smiled. “You haven’t even seen the place.”  
  
“I’ve heard enough about it. Besides, I’m excited to see it for myself. It’s a whole new adventure!” Brock grinned.  
  
“Well…” King Edmund smiled. “Why don’t you start packing, then? We leave in two days.”  
  
Brock bounced on his feet excitedly and ran off. Quirin chuckled. “He’s going to be a handful.”  
  
“Well, you managed _yours_. And _mine_ isn’t a teenager anymore.” King Edmund shrugged. “Well, I better go find Adira and Hector and tell them when we’re going. A pity you won’t join us, old friend.”  
  
“I told you, my place is here.” Quirin said calmly. “But, Varian and I will come and visit you from time to time.”  
  
“You better. No more losing contact for twenty-five years.” King Edmund pointed at him, then chuckled and left, Hamuel cawing on his shoulder. “Well, we tried, Hamuel. We tried.”  
  
Quirin sighed and went back to work.  
  
\--  
  
“Are you sure that this will work?” Demanitus asked as Kline drew up a magic circle. “Zhan Tiri never had to do any magic circles, did she, Regulus?”  
  
Ruddiger shook his head.  
  
“Zhan Tiri s a demon, I am only human.” Kline said patiently. “Now, unless you _don’t_ want to be human again…”  
  
“Be silent. I understand.” Demanitus nodded.  
  
“Thank you.” Kline went back to his circle.  
  
Ruddiger leaned on his hand thoughtfully as he watched the Saporian work, then let out a gasp when the spell was used his old teacher was standing before him. Well, right before he grabbed a blanket and threw it over the man with a squawk.  
  
“Yes, I do believe clothes in order.” Demanitus said.  
  
“Maisie will do that for you, he just needed to know your measurements.” Kline said as he started to clean up his circle.  
  
Ruddiger walked over and grabbed Demanitus’ hand and pulled him into the other room.  
  
“Oh, I forgot to ask, did you want the monkey tail still?” Kline asked as they went.  
  
“I see your humor has not improved. No.” Demanitus said, his voice muffled by the blanket.  
  
Ruddiger laughed.  
  
\--  
  
Cassandra looked up as the door creaked open and Eugene stepped inside. “Your caravan awaits.” He said with a mock-bow. “ _Your Majesty_.”  
  
She sighed and stood up. “I guess I deserved that.”  
  
“Come on.” He took her arm and led her out, taking her back into the sunlight.  
  
“I can’t believe it’s been three days…” She said as she was led out, past glaring maids and guards. She stepped out into the courtyard and saw a courtyard with five guards around it. Her heart stuttered when she recognized one of them as Lucas, but she blinked and he looked different and she wondered if she imagined him there. Maybe some hope for a somewhat-friendly face?  
  
She glanced to the side as a sixth walked up, her father, dressed in a Royal Guard uniform. Eugene let go of her arm and nudged her forward and she reluctantly stepped towards her father.  
  
“Cassandra.”  
  
She looked back and saw Rapunzel walking out with Varian, Andrew and Juniper.   
  
She swallowed nervously. How should she address her? She didn’t know, so she stayed silent, staring like a deer in headlights.  
  
Rapunzel walked up to her, opened her arms to hug her, hesitated, then took her cuffed hands in hers. “…I hope…you come back to us someday. That you will have put aside all the envy and rage, and we can be friends again.”  
  
Cassandra nodded. “…See you in twenty years.”  
  
Rapunzel hesitated. “If…if there comes a time before then that we need a friend to help us…do you think we could rely on you?”  
  
Cassandra’s brow furrowed and she glanced away. She didn’t know herself. And that’s why she was being sent away, wasn’t it? They didn’t know if she could be trusted to not betray them again. “…I hope so.” She whispered.  
  
“It’s time.” Eugene said, and Rapunzel’s hands slipped from Cassandra’s hands like beams of sunlight. Her fingers curled to try to keep her there, but she moved too fast. The caravan was opened and Cassandra was turned and walked inside.  
  
“Cassandra.”  
  
She stopped at the door and looked back at Varian, who had said her name.  
  
“Good luck. The darkness can be…really hard to escape from.” He said, clutching at his glove.  
  
Cassandra nodded silently, then paused to look at Rapunzel, the Sundrop resting under her neck, protected by black rocks. She silently hoped he would take care of Rapunzel just as well and then turned and walked into the caravan. Five guards went in with her and the sixth shut and locked the door on the outside with a bolt and then got up to drive.  
  
Owl flew down, circled the caravan, then landed on Eugene’s shoulder as it left through the courtyard gates. Eugene sighed and looked at him. “She’s leaving. Last chance to follow her.”  
  
He hooted at him and Eugene chuckled. “Yeah, okay. If you want to join her, nothing would stop you. You just don’t think she’s ready.”  
  
Owl hooted again.  
  
“Show’s over, folks. Let’s get inside.” Eugene smiled at Rapunzel. “It’s time to finally focus on our Happily Ever After.”  
  
Rapunzel nodded, then looked at Varian thoughtfully. “Hey, Eugene?” She looked at him.  
  
“Hm?” He smiled.  
  
She leaned in and whispered something to him. He blinked, looking at Varian, then shrugged before nodding. “Okay, then.”  
  
“Should I be suspicious?” Varian asked.  
  
“With Rapunzel? Always.” Juniper grinned.  
  
\--  
  
“Quirin?” Kline walked up to him. “Princess Rapunzel has something planned for young Varian, but I thought that I should talk to you before she did anything.”  
  
“What is it?” He asked, getting up from milking the cow.  
  
“Some good news, for the boy. In a way.” Kline sighed. “His mother is not dead. But, it is too early for him to seek her out.”  
  
“What do you mean?” Quirin looked at him. “Where is she?”  
  
Kline raised an eyebrow. Quirin’s eyes widened and he got up and went to the house, Kline following. He found a secret compartment in the wall and pulled out an old satchel. Pursing his lips, he pulled a green book out of it. “…She did it, then?”  
  
“Yes. And only your son can free her, but it will be very tricky.” Kline said calmly.  
  
Quirin looked at the book, then put it away. “It’s too early.”  
  
“It is too early.” Kline nodded. “However, I thought it would be good for him to know that she still lives. Perhaps…improve his birthday.”  
  
Quirin nodded. “Don’t tell him any details.”  
  
He smiled. “Of course.”  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel surprised Varian with a birthday party for his 17th birthday, and he tried to pretend it didn’t bother him that he was reminded of the day again. They sat him down and he opened gift after gift from all of his friends and family, but the best gift of all was from Kline. A simple picture of his mother, with the words “She still lives” on the back. He’d questioned him about it, of course, but all Kline said was that Varian would learn the details, in time, but she was _not_ with another family. Knowing she was alive was enough for him.  
  
He supposed that he “wasn’t ready” for the full details and had learned already to not rush things.   
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel’s 21st birthday was the biggest birthday celebration she’d ever had, with people coming from the Seven Kingdoms to celebrate. Even Lady Caine showed up, though she was quickly apprehended and told she could either go to jail, change her ways, or leave. She chose to leave on the boat she came on.  
  
Eugene took Rapunzel out on a boat under the lanterns and proposed to her and, this time, she said yes.  
  
\--  
  
King Edmund went to rebuild the Dark Kingdom, now called Lunar, with Brock Thunderstrike Lune as the crown prince. It would be a little while before he was ready to take the throne, but he had his father and the Brotherhood to show him the ropes.   
  
Varian and Quirin visited from time to time, with Varian using black rocks to improve the place as requested, but once King Edmund started to hint at them _staying_ , Quirin ushered Varian out.  
  
\--  
  
Rapunzel looked out over her Kingdom from her balcony, smiling brightly at the signs of construction of the Saporian Kingdom off in the distance. She placed a hand over her Sundrop and sighed, clutching at it a bit.  
  
“So much has happened…” She said softly. “I keep waiting for something else to happen, some other magical disaster.”  
  
Pascal squeaked at her and nuzzled her and she smiled. “Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I’m just being paranoid.” She looked at her engagement ring. “I have a whole life ahead of me, with friends and family.” She turned and walked to the door, gasping when it opened. “Oh!”  
  
“Oh, sorry.” Varian stopped. “Did I interrupt something?”  
  
She giggled. “Nope.”  
  
“Good. Because you’ve got a coronation to redo.” He smiled and stepped to the side. “After you.”  
  
She stepped out, smiling as Faith walked up to her, dressed in the blue Lady-in-Waiting dress. “Let’s get this coronation done, then!”  
  
“Come on, Sunshine!” Eugene said, waving from down the hall.  
  
She giggled and ran out to join him, taking his hand as they walked together to go to the throne room.  
  
Yes, despite everything, she could _finally_ start living Happily Ever After, after all.  
  


The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ((A/N: The final chapter is always the hardest to write, because you want to wrap things up neatly but you don't want to go on and on and on. So I decided to summarize for some of it and maybe I'll do one-shots in relation to this, maybe include some stuff not mentioned, like Lance adopting Kiera and Catalina, or some other things. Either way, this main story is done, and I'm glad you all came along with me for this wild ride.
> 
> Thanks for reading!))

**Author's Note:**

> A disjointed Princess and the Pauper story...can Rapunzel stop Cassandra before she becomes the Princess and forces Rapunzel back into the Pauper role once more?
> 
> ((A/N: Okay, so I've actually been focusing on a big drawing project and that's why I haven't updated anything, but I hate leaving you guys without anything to read, so have the first chapter of my Season 3 rewrite! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it!))


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